‘Part of who I am’: What it’s like for Sam living with incurable condition

PARIS: Para-athlete Samantha Schmidt’s cerebral palsy is so difficult on some days that she loses her balance and hurts herself.
“I have a bit of a busted lip at the moment because I fell over the other day because my legs were just worn out,” the discus thrower tells Wide World of Sports.
“I accidentally fell into my door … because my CP [cerebral palsy] was really bad that day.”
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But the 22-year-old from Brisbane, who’s set to feature at her second Paralympic Games, does not let her struggles with cerebral palsy defeat her.
“It is definitely frustrating when I’m always bumping into things, but I try not to get so frustrated because I know I can’t control it,” Schmidt says.
“Even if I try [to control it], I bump into things. That’s just who I am; I don’t have that awareness.
Australia’s Samantha Schmidt, pictured competing at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, is set to hurl the discus in Paris. Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
“So when I bump into things usually I’ll laugh it off, or I’ll get frustrated, I’ll cool down and then I’ll laugh it off.
“Holding onto it is not going to do anything. You’re just holding onto a grudge against a door, so is it worth getting angry about?”
Three years after finishing in sixth place in the F38 category of the women’s discus throw at the Tokyo Paralympics, Schmidt is set to hurl the discus at the Stade de France in Paris.
The Queenslander is the Australian record holder in the women’s F38 discus, shot put and javelin, but the only Paralympic event available to her is the discus.
In Schmidt’s case of cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that can cause problems with coordination, muscle tone and posture, and bring about abnormal levels of fatigue, her strength is affected in both of her arms and legs.
Samantha Schmidt gearing up for a throw at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris. Toru Hanai/Getty Images
“I try to avoid as much negative energy as I can,” she adds.
“I’ve heard so many people say, ‘You having this disability and this CP, it’s so terrible’, and I’m like, ‘Well, it’s not a negative; it’s part of who I am’.
“And it’s not a disability; it’s a challenge. It’s a challenge you’ve got to try to get through … Every day you wake up and you’re faced with something.
“There is no cure for CP, so it’s something I’ll have for the rest of my life and I’ve got to push through it.
“But there is so much more to someone other than their CP, which is what I like to think of.”
Watch every moment, every medal of the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 live and free on Channel 9, 9Gem and 9Now. Plus, every event streaming ad free, live and on demand with 4K on Stan Sport.
Schmidt’s cerebral palsy affects her strength in both of her arms and legs. Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
Schmidt has plans to study beauty services at TAFE once the Paris Games are over.
She also has a keen interest in baking and entertains the idea of one day starting her own baking business.
“But bakers have really early mornings, and I like to sleep in,” she says with a laugh.
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Schmidt took up athletics when she was four, competing in a range of events.
“Athletics has had a massive impact on my life,” she says.
“It’s kept me from getting worse with my cerebral palsy, it’s kept me fit and the people in the athletics community are amazing.”
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