"I was the tough girl who loved contact sports. I was determined, fiery, fearless and wanted to get stuck into everything. Usain Bolt was my hero and I wanted to be fast just like him."
"Having the family I do keeps me humble. They'd give me a right telling-off if I ever got above my station. It was important that I was the best, especially when it came to racing against the boys."
"When the day came I was nervous, but as I crossed the finish line I realised I'd won and it was the best day ever. It felt amazing knowing my body could do that if I put in the work."
Jodie Ounsley, born in 2001 in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, is an accomplished athlete and author. She made history as the first deaf female rugby player for a senior England side. In 2024, she joined the BBC's Gladiators as Fury and presented at the 2024 Paralympics. Ounsley has a passion for sports, demonstrated from a young age, and has a strong competitive spirit. Her second book, Strong Girls, co-authored with Becky Grey, is set to be released on April 9, 2024.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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