Andy Craddock

Birmingham Wheelchair Basketball. Inspiration of the Year finalist 2022

In 2002 I was medically retired from the Royal Mail due to being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition called Mixed Connective tissue disorder, which impacts on my joins, muscles, tissues and organs. I am a part-time wheelchair user and have been involved in wheelchair basketball for 12 years, running my own club in Birmingham “Birmingham wheelchair basketball”. I am advocate in the community, promoting inclusion and diversity through coffee mornings and running events. I started a project during the pandemic to interview Olympians, Paralympians and inspirational people locally, nationally and globally which has been amazing and inspirational in the community, connecting with people worldwide. We were involved in the commonwealth games running the roadshows for the games and promoting inclusion/adaptive sport, myself having the honour to be a games Queen’s baton relay batonbearer. I was also nominated for Inspiration Of The Year Award for Community Sports and Recreation Alliance 2022, and shortlisted for the West Midlands Mental Health Star Awards 2022. Community means a lot to me and I may have a hidden disability, but I think if I can share and show and talk about it, then this makes more people aware and understand we are all individuals and different and we can achieve, everything is possible.