Five Questions with Lee Ford, paralympic archer
Five years ago, a speed-skating injury left Lee Ford with a herniated disc and loss of spinal scar tissue. A subsequent diagnosis revealed that she also had Crohn's Disease, an autoimmune disease that contributed to further spinal damage.
Though the painful condition forces the 39-year-old in and out of a wheelchair, Ford found new reason to stand.
As she does whenever she competes for the National Paralympic Archery Team, Ford will shoot upright at the International Archery Event in England, which begins Sunday.
She is a single mother and a paralegal in downtown Atlanta.
There is no cure for Crohn’s disease, and the only surgical possibility would leave Ford with a paralyzed left leg. Still, Ford has rediscovered passion in a sport she began to learn as a young girl from her father.
Ford spoke with the AJC before she left for England. Answers have been edited for length.
Q: Has having to use your wheelchair hindered your return to archery?
A: I'm in a wheelchair part-time now so I can continue to walk the rest of my life. If I don't use my wheelchair, eventually there's going to be a point when I'm stuck in it. I still compete standing up, so I hope to actually be able to compete on the able-bodied team eventually.
Trying to shoot with a disability is a challenge. There are days when I can’t stand up to train for the hours I need to train. I try not to let that stop me because there’s always a way to work around the problem I have. I can shoot from my stool, or I’ll work with my visualization and not put stress on my back. It’s just about figuring about a way to work around what’s going
Q: How else does Crohn’s disease affect you on a day-to-day basis?
A: Basically I eat and I'm sick. The back pain is pretty much a constant, and I have nerve damage. I have a bad leg. Sometimes I call it the ice-pick gnome that stabs me in random places. I'm like, how can it be numb and painful at the same time? I can't feel my foot or parts of my leg. The nice thing about archery is the focus helps you block out the pain sometimes. And it helps to learn how to deal with it.
Q: You’ve mentioned that a dream of yours is to qualify for the 2012 Olympics. Why is that an important goal for you?
A: It would be a culmination of years of hard work and friends supporting me. It would be a miracle, and I'd be blessed and so lucky to be able to achieve that. I think I'm on the right track to do it. I'm going to get there. When I was speed skating I had wanted to go to the Olympics and couldn't. I was doing all this damage to my body and not understanding why I couldn't do what I wanted to do.
Q: What is your goal for this particular competition, which is your first event overseas?
A: My personal goal is to shoot a certain score and to come home with a medal, preferably gold. I'm coming home with a medal.
Q: How has archery changed your outlook on yourself or your circumstances?
A: I was starting over from scratch, and I realized how much I loved archery again. It was something I could do that didn't hurt my back and probably do forever. It's been a dream that's taught me a lot about myself as a person. I think it has made me a better and happier person.
