How Gold Coast athlete Natasha Price went from being ‘bed bound’ to winning a marathon
From being bed bound for 10 years to becoming an athlete — even Natasha Price is surprised at her turnaround.
Women of the Year
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FROM being bed bound for 10 years to becoming an athlete — even Natasha Price is surprised at her turnaround.
The Upper Coomera woman is a competitive wheelchair racer and is a finalist in our Harvey Norman Women of the Year awards in the champions of sport category.
Ms Price developed a neurological disorder in 2007 that left her in a wheelchair.
She said about two years ago she’d had enough of “lying in bed” and told her mother she wanted to race in a marathon.
“I kind of got to a point where I was like ‘I really don’t want to continue living life this way’,” Ms Price said.
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“I was sick of just accepting what had been told was my fate.
“One day my mother sat on the couch next to me and I said ‘I really want to do a marathon’. She said ‘you’re crazy, you can’t even get yourself out of bed’.
“One year later I did my first marathon.”
In her 18 months as a wheelchair athlete Ms Price won the 2019 Auckland Marathon and was selected to represent Queensland in the 2020 National Track and Field Championships in Sydney. It would be postponed due to the COVID-19.
Ms Price was also a baton bearer for the 2018 Commonwealth Games and a guest speaker at the 2018 medal reveal.
“I won the Auckland marathon last year but I had post traumatic amnesia at the time,” Ms Price said.
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“I had an accident with a hurdle on a racetrack – the hurdle hit me in my face – and I had two or three months of my life missing (from my memory).
“I did Auckland marathon two months after that injury.”
Ms Price is also an advocate for disabled people and has lobbied Gold Coast politicians and businesses to make the community more accessible for all.
“I work on a community charity through the NDIS. We’re doing everything we can to try and improve multiple businesses and recreation areas in the community for people with a disability.
“A lot of people who think they’re disabled feel like they’ve got nothing to aspire to anymore.
“We’re tying to knock that on the head. Disability is just another thing and you run with it as best you can.
“The more you push yourself, the more positive you feel.”
The Women of the Year awards are a Gold Coast Bulletin-led initiative recognising inspiring and trailblazing women making a difference in the community.
As a finalist, Ms Mayer has a chance at being crowned the winner of her category as well as winning the People’s Choice popular vote. Voting closes tonight.
Visit womenoftheyear.com.au to find out more and to vote in People’s Choice.
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