A WHEELCHAIR basketball star who has promoted disability sport in Coventry and represented her country has announced she’s retiring at the end of this season.
Sarah Hope, who has represented Coventry wheelchair basketball academy (CWBA) for over a decade, announced the news ahead of this weekends British Wheelchair Basketball league playoffs in Manchester.
Sarah has already played her final game for the CWBA, but will take to the court one final time as she captains the
Worcester Wolves women’s premier league team in their third place playoff against Cardiff Met Archers.
An able-bodied runner until a rare disability called Hereditary Peripheral Neuropathy began more seriously affecting her lower limbs, Sarah started playing wheelchair basketball in 2010 after her doctors told her about the sport.
Sarah became a full time member of the Great Britain programme in 2016, which led to her representing her country at the World Championships.
Sarah’s impressive list of achievements also include being selected as Worcester’s captain when the women’s premier league, the first professional female wheelchair basketball competition in the world.
She has also played a key role in Coventry’s women’s team and in recent years has reached the top of another sport, captaining the Great British women’s team in para ice hockey.
Sarah said: “Basketball has been such a massive part of my life for the last 13 years but the time is right to call it a day.
“I am immensely grateful for the opportunities that basketball has afforded me and the people l’ve met along the way.”
