The Doctor Said 'Life In A Wheelchair.' I Chose Gold Instead | Carol Cooke | Ep 111

Carol Cooke was told she didn't have the body to be a gymnast. Then, at the peak of her life, she was told her body was effectively shutting down due to Multiple Sclerosis. Most people would accept the diagnosis and the wheelchair. Carol decided to treat her prognosis like a lie. This conversation pulls apart the reality of living with MS, the anger behind the diagnosis, and the obsessive, non-linear process of trading a "life over" for a Paralympic gold medal. We aren't talking about manifestation; we’re talking about what happens when you refuse to let your body decide when you’re finished. Carol's website: https://www.carolcooke.com.au Newsletter and more: https://shithappy.com/resources MOOOd: Check here for an instant mood boost:    / @askinghumans   0:00 Introduction: Life With MS Diagnosis 1:01 Carol's Childhood Olympic Dream 2:27 Rejected From Gymnastics at Age Nine 3:41 Mum's Life-Changing Advice: Try a Different Sport 6:12 Swimming Career and the 1980 Olympics Boycott 7:28 World Police and Fire Games: Representing Canada 9:52 Moving to Australia and Meeting Her Husband 11:23 MS Symptoms Begin: Hobart Swimming Competition 14:30 The MS Diagnosis: A Cruel Doctor's Verdict 19:18 Husband's Response: 'We Have It Together' 20:10 Wheelchair, Work Struggles, and Starting a Charity 22:15 Paralympics Discovery: Classification as a Para Swimmer 23:26 Talent Search and Switching to Rowing 26:20 Standing Up to the Rowing Coach Who Said She'd Never Make It 28:31 Discovering Cycling: From Rower to National Team 32:10 2012 London Paralympics: Winning Gold Against the World Champion 37:10 Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020: Competing Into Her 60s #shithappypodcast #carolcooke #paralympic #multipleclerosis #resilience