“Disabled Sport Saved My Life”: ellenor Announces Gold Medal-Winning Para-Athlete JohnBoy Smith as its Ambassador

JohnBoy turned to disabled sport after a life-changing accident left him with T10/T11 paraplegia: paralysed from the waist down and wheelchair bound. But JohnBoy – a self-described “glass-half-full kind of person” – resolved to make the best of his newfound circumstances.

“Disabled sport saved my life. It gave me a sense of freedom. Everything I have now, everything I love – my wife Kerry, my kids, the friends I’ve made travelling the world – has come through sport. It all reminds me: Just because you’ve been dealt a bad hand, doesn’t mean you can’t play a good game!”

JohnBoy’s humility, inner strength, and outward charisma – not to mention his status as local legend – makes him an ideal ambassador for ellenor.

ellenor supports patients, and their families, in their journey with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses. With services based in Northfleet, Kent and provided predominantly in patients’ homes across Kent and Bexley, ellenor enables families to live well with life-changing illnesses through holistic care that addresses clinical, emotional, and psychosocial needs.

Non-denominational and inclusive of all cultures and faiths, ellenor’s values resonate strongly with JohnBoy’s own.

A proud member of the travelling community, JohnBoy became the first professional para-athlete of Romany descent to represent Great Britain in 2015. He remains dedicated to preserving and passing on his community’s traditions to his daughters.

That said, he wants to be a role model not only for his own culture – but for aspiring young athletes from all backgrounds and beliefs.

“I try to support, inspire, and help everybody – of every creed, colour, and race. To pioneer sport for all, regardless of their disability or ethnicity. I travel the country, giving motivational talks to children, and I say: It’s not who you are, where you come from, or how much money you have that matters – it’s what you’ve got inside.

“It’s how hot the fire burns; how much you want it.”

For JohnBoy, the decision to become an ambassador for ellenor was easy. Not only does the hospice charity serve his native Gravesend, but his wife, Kerry, was a Healthcare Assistant in a hospice for years; so she recognised, and told JohnBoy about, the vital role these charities play in their local community.

Not only does the hospice charity serve his hometown of Gravesend, but his wife Kerry’s experience as a Healthcare Assistant in a hospice highlighted to him the critical role these charities play in local communities.

Yet JohnBoy acknowledges that, traditionally, the Romany community has had an indifferent attitude towards hospice care. “We’d rather look after each other than let other people help us,” he says. “It’s old-fashioned: but it’s just the way it is.” JohnBoy also talks about how, when his grandmother was dying, his mum and sisters – while not dismissing the efforts of the District Nurse – stepped in to assume responsibility for the care of their own family member.

Through his support of ellenor, though, JohnBoy hopes to build a bridge between his community and the hospice. To demonstrate how local hospice charities such as ellenor are there to work with families in supporting patients with life-limiting illnesses – not against them. And to showcase the value of holistic support that takes into account all aspects of a patient’s wellbeing – including their existing social, cultural, and spiritual support networks – to achieve the best outcomes.

JohnBoy – never short of the right inspirational phrase, whoever he’s speaking to – also has a message for the patients and families ellenor supports, and it’s a simple one: “Be there for each other.”

He continues: “Sometimes, all it takes is asking someone if they’re okay – that opens up everything. It makes a world of difference, having someone there for you when you feel like everything is crumbling down around you. So be there: and be kind, too. You never know what someone else is going through.”

To be a part of our ambassador JohnBoy’s journey, follow him on Instagram at @johnboywcr, or read more about him on his Team England profile. And, to stay up to date with what’s happening at ellenor, explore the latest ellenor news – or, even better, make a small, tax-free donation to help us raise the £7 million we need, every year, to continue supporting patients with life-limiting illnesses in your, and JohnBoy’s, community. Thank you.