Brave Hayley ready to serve up Paralympic dream

At age 13, Hayley Sands dived into the family pool and her life changed forever. Far from asking ‘why me’ she now has her sights set on the Paralympic Games.

Hayley Sands hopes to one day play table tennis for Australia at a Paralympic Games, saying a NDIS-supported NeuroMove gym program is crucial to preparing her. Picture: Mike Burton

At age 13, while learning to dive in the family’s backyard pool, Hayley Sands suffered a spinal injury that left her unable to walk.

She suffered whiplash as she hit the water, causing a C4/C5 incomplete spinal cord injury.

But seven years on, the Paralympic table tennis hopeful doesn’t ask ‘why me’, she is instead just grateful to be alive.

“I didn’t touch the bottom or anything like that, it was just the force of water pushing my head back,” Hayley said.

“Being younger, it has probably been a little bit easier for me in terms of accepting it and moving on – family has been important, too.

“You have to take life as it comes, accept it and move on.”

Hayley, now 20, is sharing her story as part of Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week, September 7-13.

A few years after becoming a tetraplegic, Hayley was introduced to table tennis at a Paralympics Australia Come and Try Day.

The UniSA interior architect student is now hopeful of wearing the green and gold, after playing at international tournaments before the COVID-19 pandemic.

She credits her strength to a NeuroMoves exercise and therapy program specially-designed for those with neurological conditions.

“It’s made a huge difference to my life, improving my seated balance, giving me the strength to transfer more easily from my bed to a chair, from my chair to my car, and to play competitive table tennis,” she said.

The NDIS-supported program is now available to people in regional South Australia also through telehealth.