REFLECTIONS | DANNY DAWOUD

Title

What Danny Dawould Taught Me About Elite Sport and Disability

The Story

Danny Dawoud was born in Wigan with Osteogenesis Imperfecta Type 2, a brittle bone condition.

Despite a difficult start, he went on to win gold for Team GB in wheelchair rugby. Danny’s story is one of positivity, risk-taking, and an attitude that’s pushed him to the forefront of every opportunity.

A powerful example of how mindset can shape success.

Opening

I’d filmed Danny a few times and was impressed with how he seems to the person everyone looks up to. People respect Danny, listen to him, and he delivers his message with poise and ease. He knows who he is and articulates that when talking about his life. I was looking forward to getting to know Danny, and I felt I definitely did.

What Stayed With Me

Danny’s attitude. Simple as that.

The way he carries himself, calm, grounded, but you can see there’s another level there when he needs it. I’ve watched him play wheelchair rugby and it’s intense. Then you sit and talk to him and he’s just steady.

No ego, no negativity. He could easily have a chip on his shoulder, but there’s none of that. Just a good bloke with proper values, a true gent.

The Bigger Reflection

Danny’s lived his whole life being the one people might look at twice,  question, maybe judge.

But it’s never held him back. If anything, it’s pushed him forward. His disability didn’t stop him, it gave him something else. That drive to just get on with it, test himself, and do things on his own terms.

A Line I Won’t Forget

"I was born, every bone at some point over that pregnancy, was broken"

If you asked to have a worse start to life this has got to be high on the list. I can’t imagine the stress involved in Danny’s parents as well as himself, suffering a baby. Not knowing what each day will be like, and how to manage that. It must have been a real struggle.

Closing Thought

Danny has always gone for it. Even knowingly to the detriment of what could be serious implications from his choices. He has achieved quite a lot, and his positive attitude and professional manner are certainly only few of what I loved about Danny. He is the definition of “you can do it”.