A disabled woman who has suffered with her brittle bones her entire life is part of a team that has reached the FA Disability Cup Finals.
Aspire PFC will take on West Bromwich Albion PFC at the home of the England squad at St George’s Park In the Powerchair Football final, which will be screened live on BT Sport this Saturday (July 17).
With the team based in Watford, Rosie Hodgson, aged 23, has travelled from Norwich to Watford each week as part of her extensive training before the big game.
The player was born with Gorham Stouts disease and has gone various operations, meaning she suffers with brittle bones and can easily fracture herself.
Talking about the severity of her condition, she said: “When I was nine-years-old, I was in a shallow paddling pool with my younger brother when I slipped off a rubber pool float and my pelvis and spine collapsed.
“I lost the ability to walk and became a full-time wheelchair user; prior to this accident, during my childhood I was walking fine, just issues with tiredness and heavy legs, which we now know why.”
Hodgson, who describes herself as a ‘girly girl’ at school, was recommended to try out sports as part of her physiotherapy.
From there she began to try out powerchair football trials and became “hooked instantaneously”.
Three months after, she purchased her first sports powerchair.
By 2014, she found a Watford team – which is two and a half hours from her home – called Muscle Warriors, and she played one season there.
It was from there that she was spotted playing for Aspire’s sister-club, and she was invited to play for Aspire PFC in 2015.
She said: “I was beyond honoured! A team I looked up to for years had welcomed me with open arms to their squad. During my first season we did the double, winning the premiership and first FA Disability Cup at St George’s Park on May 7th 2016.
“From then, every year due to hard work, dedication and determination, me and the squad have seen ourselves in the past 4 consecutive finals, with an impressive 3/4 wins.”
This will be her fifth successive final, and will take place just a few weeks after her engagement.
She said: “The final is a huge moment in my career. It’s the pinnacle of the sport getting to SGP and being able to play at our own version of Wembley Stadium, it’s fantastic.
“Having it broadcasted to millions at home this time around too is astonishing!
“My family & friends are very proud of me and will be watching on Saturday, I also have my fiancé coming to watch too.
“I have friends going to pubs for breakfast asking to watch the game, people having garden parties projecting the game on big screens and my nanny, brother and brother’s girlfriend will be at home watching it. This is a moment in history this weekend and I’m so proud and excited to be apart of it. Now let’s go win!”
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