Amy Conroy is a very talented wheelchair basketball player. She has represented Great Britain in four Paralympics, beginning with London 2012, and many World and European Championships. She co-captained the team to win Gold in the 2015 Under-25 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Beijing and won a silver medal at the 2018 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Hamburg. In addition to basketball the most important things in Amy’s life are her family, her father and her faith.
Amy says her faith is a huge motivator and inspiration and developed alongside extreme trauma and loss. When she was seven years old, Amy’s mother, Anne, died from breast cancer. Amy says, “She was only 39, and had been unwell for a large part of my life. My dad, Chris, looked after her as she was suffering before she passed away. Then he raised us, my sister Alice and me, and worked full time. I saw how steadfast he was, and he remained the kindest person. He never gave up and has always been my role model and the source of my strength. His faith has definitely shaped mine.”
When she was 12 years old, Amy was diagnosed with bone cancer. She says, “It started with a pain in my knee, and it took a year for me to be diagnosed with osteosarcoma. By that stage, it had spread to my spine and my lungs. The odds of me surviving weren’t great. There were times when it was quite scary, and my dad must have felt helpless, but he never lost hope, and I’m sure that’s because of his faith. There was one time I remember so clearly: it was the night before the amputation of my leg. I was really scared, and dad sat and prayed with me. I had such an intense feeling of calm and peace that I’ve never had since. It’s hard to put into words but the next morning I was wheeled into that surgery, with a deep belief that everything was going to be absolutely fine. It was a time I really needed help, and it came.”
Amy was in hospital for a year and saw children suffering on the ward. She says, “The severity of the situation always hit home whenever a kid died.” The treatment was gruelling. The first day of chemotherapy she was sick 75 times. There were lots of surgeries and scares during treatment. At times her faith was tested but her dad’s way of thinking and his faith always brought her back. Amy says, “If ever I’m frustrated, thinking ‘I’ve prayed about this. Why is it not working? Why is God not helping?’, my dad reminds me that God has his own timeline. He encourages me to pray for strength to get through things instead. Sarcomas don’t always have a great outcome for kids. I’ve been incredibly blessed to have been fine since I left hospital.”