Trying new things or activities can be difficult with or without a disability. I recently tried a new sport (wheelchair cricket) and wanted to share some of the tips that helped me embrace my new experience. 

Planning 

Planning may start well before the actual event, especially if you have a disability. This can include researching the accessibility of the new environment, adapting to new equipment, and organising support to help you participate. When I decided to try wheelchair cricket, I had to dust off my own sports wheelchair (which I hadn’t used in years), buy new tubes for it, and do some general maintenance to get it ready.

Clear goals

Doing something new can take considerable time and effort, so it is a good idea to have some goals that address WHY you want to do it. Goals can be very simple or complex and can help keep you motivated. My goals for this new activity were to meet some new people and learn how to play a new team sport. Both of my goals I achieved and I also had a lot of fun along the way.    

Accept mistakes 

Fear around making mistakes can often be a barrier to trying new things, but it really shouldn’t be. Making mistakes may be an important part of learning because it can increase attention. Accept that you’re going to be on a learning curve whenever you try new tasks and that repetition is key. Sport is an excellent example of how we can improve any skill through practice.

Let go of perfectionism 

Perfectionism can be a barrier to trying new things if you feel pressure or judgment to do everything to a very high standard. Just because I am a professional athlete in one sport does not automatically make me good at other sports. Although some skills are transferable, having low expectations and an open mind can help take the pressure off when trying something new. 

Negative thoughts 

Most of us have negative thoughts and worries about trying new things. Something I do to manage negative thoughts is to just recognise them as just thoughts, being aware of your thoughts can help you separate from them. You can also choose to ignore, challenge, or reframe them. When it comes to fears and doubts my favourite saying is to feel the fear and do it anyway!   

I hope my tips are helpful! Please like and share in the comments what new thing or activity you would like to try?

About the Author:

Susan Seipel is a diverse para-athlete with a background in swimming, and equestrian, and is a triple World Champion in the sport of Paracanoe.

She won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and was the first Australian in history to win a medal in Paracanoe at the Paralympic level. At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, Susan won a silver medal in the inaugural women’s canoe event. She is currently training for Paris 2024.

Outside of sports, Susan is a proud ambassador for RSPCA Queensland and is passionate about animal welfare. She is also studying Psychology at university.

http://www.susanseipel.com