Ellie Challis, from Tendring in Essex, is a swimmer currently at the top of her game with 12 World Championship medals in the past 5 years. She also boasts a gold and silver medal earned at the Paris 2024 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympics respectively and is continuing to raise her own bar and beat her own expectations. When she was just 16 months old, Challis contracted meningitis, which resulted in an above the knee amputation of her legs and a below elbow amputation of her arms. Ellie is a truly inspiring individual, who’s achievements and values inspire residents across the county.
After watching the film Dolphin Tale, which was based on a true story about a dolphin that learned to swim using a prosthetic, Ellie, aged 8 at the time was inspired to learn to swim. As we near the end of our Women and Girls Like Us: A Year in Sport, we wanted to focus on the inclusivity of sports for women and girls and not just the opportunities on offer. Off the back of a brilliant World Championships and after being announced as one of our shortlisted nominees for this year’s Essex Activity Awards ‘Sports Personality of the Year’, we spoke to Ellie on the topic.
When we asked what inclusivity in sport meant to Ellie, she explained “Inclusivity to me means everyone been able to take part in any sport they want to and to feel like they are a part of that team”
In response to being asked about the changes she’d like to see made in sports and physical activity spaces to make them more inclusive for women and girls, Ellie said “I think just people’s willingness to help disabled people get into sport and feel included so they don’t feel like they’re only being included because it looks good but for them to be included because they actually are”.
Some of the biggest challenges that Ellie was faced with early on “was finding people that understood me and/or were willing to learn about me and my disability and how they could help me best because especially at the start me and my dad know how I can do things way better than a normal Coach or staff member, and we overcome those things by just given things ago and having conversations with the right people”.
Ellie is passionate about ensuring the next generation have the right platform to succeed and express themselves. The advice she’d give to young girls that feel like sport and physical activity isn’t for them is “to look at sport as a way of socialising rather than a way of exercising or playing sport as so much of it is just being a team and just socialising and having fun, and that for me is one of the best parts about sport is the people you meet through it”.
The final question we asked Ellie was looking back over the past year, what moments stood out to her as powerful examples of inclusivity in action and has there been any campaigns, events or individuals that inspired her. Ellie’s response was “I think a lot of those moments are the things that you don’t see, it’s the children that are playing sports at their school or at their local clubs and are included because the teacher or their coach spent the time to learn about them and how to help them.
I personally had some really good PE teachers whilst being at school that always made me feel included and allowed me to direct them in what I needed and how I could do things and be included.”
Ellie’s inspirational journey is a powerful reminder that inclusivity in sport goes far beyond providing opportunities, it’s about creating those environments where everyone truly feels they belong. Her story shows the importance of showing empathy, understanding, and a willingness to adapt, whether that’s from coaches, teachers, or teammates. As we celebrate the importance of inclusivity through our Women and Girls Like Us: A Year in Sport campaign, Ellie’s perspective challenges us all to think about how we can make sport and physical activity more welcoming and meaningful for every individual, regardless of ability. Inclusivity isn’t just a box to tick, it’s a commitment to ensuring that everyone has the chance to thrive, connect with others, and enjoy the incredible benefits of being active.
