Paralympic athlete Anne Wafula Strike was forced to urinate herself during a CrossCountry train journey, after discovering that the train didn’t have toilets that were wheelchair accessible.
The 42-year-old coated herself in perfume to mask the smell of urine and covered her face with her hoodie following the incident, out of fear that others in her carriage may have recognised her. A British wheelchair racer, board member for UK Athletics and an MBE recipient for her services to disabled sports, Wafula Strike spoke of her embarrassment to The Guardian, saying: “I was completely robbed of my dignity by the train company. I would like to ask the train company when will they give me my dignity back? As a disabled person I have worked so hard over the years to build up my confidence and self-belief.”
The paralympian boarded the three hour train journey, but after needing to go to the toilet she discovered that the disabled restroom was out of service. She then attempted to make her way to the able-bodied toilet, but the aisle was too narrow for her wheelchair to fit through. She explained how she had been informed by staff that she could wait until the train reached its next stop and use the disabled toilets at the station, but was later informed that no members of staff were qualified to help her from the train in order to do so.
“People with disabilities don’t want perfection, we just want the basics and to have our independence,” she said. “But lack of access and inclusive facilities make us feel as if we are an afterthought.” CrossCountry provided an apology to the athlete in a statement, which reads: “We are extremely sorry for the circumstances of Mrs Strike’s recent journey with us, and our managing director has passed on our apologies to her along with an explanation of why it appears all our systems failed her on that day.”
Wafula Strike has been a staunch advocate for disabled rights in the UK, with her devoting her time to many charities across the region. Despite the humiliation she faced as a result of her ordeal on the CrossCountry journey, the athlete has bravely discussed the incident in order to raise awareness for how something as simple as an out of service toilet can have such a damaging impact upon disabled people, and how companies such as CrossCountry should be held accountable for not catering to those who aren’t able-bodied.
Hopefully Wafula Strike’s bravery will lead to train companies such as CrossCountry taking a closer look at how well they cater to disabled individuals, and that this will help prevent similar incidents happening in the future. Since her story was published by The Guardian, the athlete has been retweeting the countless messages of support she has received, with many commending her for her decision to speak out.
