Autism and the Paralympics: Ella Pardy and Ruby Storm

The Paralympics is over for another four years, and our amazing Australian athletes have some incredible stories to tell about it. We spoke to autistic Paralympians Ella Pardy and Ruby Storm about their experience in Paris and as athletes on the autism spectrum.

When did you first discover your love for sport? And what sport do you compete in?

Ella: I slept three hours broken asleep a night for 14 years, so my mum had to get me moving around doing lots of physical activities in the hope it would tire me out and I would sleep (it didn't work!) So I ended up doing all kinds of different sports like basketball, horse riding, ice skating, roller blading and swimming. I entered an athletics competition in 100m sprints out of the blue, and I blitzed everybody, so that's how I ended up in Athletics for the last 18 years!

Ruby: When I was younger, I tried many sports and I struggled to enjoy them and had trouble fitting in with others. I didn’t even cope with swimming lessons and taught myself to swim by watching my older sister do her lessons. While on a family holiday in Queensland, my sister and I were racing against each other, and I enjoyed it, so I decided to do club swimming. I swam at my first competition on my 9th birthday and have loved it ever since.

Were there any barriers you had to overcome to get to the Paralympics this year?

Ruby: The qualifying times for my classification (S14) are extremely fast; I would have to swim PBs to qualify. The other way to be selected is for the Mixed S14 Relay, they take the fastest two S14 females and males to make this team. Luckily I was the fastest female and was selected for the team. My 200 freestyle at trials was a PB and an Australian record but I just missed the qualifying time.

Were there any accommodations you needed at the games?

Ella: The Paralympic Village is a massive place with different buildings for different countries and different sports. There were 117 nations and 4,463 athletes! The Village was a very noisy place, especially the dining hall, which was massive with a lot of echo and chatter. The gym was huge, always packed and noisy with added gym equipment noise. There was a sensory space above the gym for all athletes, but this, too, was packed and noisy as well!

So, I would spend a couple of hours in my room in the afternoons between training, to have some quiet time, do some Vim Hoff breathing, colouring in and a power nap. I find having showers and washing my hair to be very therapeutic.

Ruby: Swimming Australia had me fill out a survey to ask what areas I may need help with, such as following time schedules, some time to assist me with waking up and making sure I had everything I needed. There are also team managers there to help as well as a team psychologist who I talked to when needed.

What were the highlights from this year’s Paralympic Games for you?

Ella: My favourite highlight was standing in the stadium with 80,000 people in the Stade de France. The purple track was out of this world; the energy of the crowd gave me wings!

Ruby: The large crowd and atmosphere were a highlight, as there was no crowd in Tokyo. A highlight for me was to have my parents in the crowd watching and, of course, going on to win a silver medal.

How has being autistic/living with autism influenced your experience and career as an athlete?

Ella: I am affected most by noise, change of routine and travel, and as much as I like being sociable, it is very draining. I compete in T38, which is the mild cerebral palsy class. My Autism, ADHD and ID are not accounted for, so I am disadvantaged. I compete with other people who are university undergraduates or graduates, can drive, look after themselves, make themselves heard, have a strategy, and can set their blocks up.

Ruby: When I first started swimming, I actually didn’t know there was a classification for me to compete in, so I competed in able-bodied swimming. People don’t understand how things can affect me, and often, growing up, comments were made like: 'There's nothing wrong with her', 'Why is she competing in multi-class?' and 'She doesn’t look autistic’. Having an invisible disability is hard; we are not offered sponsorship like other athletes because we appear to look normal. I try not to let people’s comments get to me, but sometimes, things that happen at competitions can really affect me and how I swim.

At the Paris Paralympics, the bus that drove me to the pool for my first event was an hour and a half late, meaning I had less time to warm up and get ready for my race. This really affected me and my performance and I struggled to work through this.

What would your advice be to other autistic people who want to pursue a career in sport?

Ella: Always dream big and be the best version of yourself!

Ruby: My advice would be to train hard and always be in a club/sport that you feel comfortable in. I liked swimming because it was an individual sport but also training in a group environment. Always talk to your coach and explain what you may need help with.

Now that the Paralympics are over, what’s next for you?

Ella: Rest and recovery for the next few weeks, and then States, Track Classic and Nationals all in Perth for the first time next year (so no travel, a familiar stadium, and I sleep in my own home!) Beyond that, Para Athletics World Champs in 2025 and Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2026 ... bring it on!

Ruby: I am having a small break from training and will get back to the pool in November sometime. I hope to make the team for the 2025 World Championships in Singapore.

You can follow Ella and Ruby on Instagram to stay up-to-date with their sporting journeys. For further reading, you can visit the following links:

• Exercise and autism
• Co-occurring conditions
• Resilience & self advocacy
• Support options for autistic adults