Watch: ‘I lost my leg as a child, now I’m finding my way through rowing’

An aggressive bone cancer at nine years old cost Sarah Craig her left leg. Now 40, she says sport has given her a renewed sense of purpose, thanks to a poster she spotted at Karin Grech Hospital’s Amputee Rehabilitation Unit.

It was “shouting out at me to do something for my own self-care and to get moving”, Craig recalled. That poster, by the Malta Paralympics Committee (MPC), invited people with physical disabilities to try indoor rowing.

Craig, a teacher at Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre’s Rainbow Ward, trains regularly at the Siġġiewi Rowing Club (SRC) and says she feels “resilient, determined and full of hope”.

Her story is part of Project Move, a collaboration between MPC and SRC, which encourages people with physical and visual disabilities to get involved with sport. The project aims to build a more inclusive sporting culture.

Craig is “so glad” she chose to get in touch with MPC and SRC. “Back then, I felt I had nothing to lose and that I should contact them to see where this idea takes me… It was a time when I felt I needed to give something to myself – part of my self-care,” she said.

Arriving at the club, she encountered an old friend, Daniela Borg, a wheelchair user who immediately put her at ease.  “She was like a ray of light to me,” Craig said, “giving me lots of courage and making me feel like I was not alone.”

Friends Daniela Borg and Sarah Craig train together.

The two are featured in a campaign video series alongside Owen Mallia and Kurt Farrugia, sharing how rowing has transformed their lives. The series promotes the idea that inclusive sport can improve mental well-being, physical health and social connection.

Borg, 43, was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair daily. She says sport has helped her push her boundaries. “The biggest regret you could have is not failing but failing to try,” she says. “Just enjoy the process and learn.”

To row, Borg needs to put down the back part of her wheelchair so that she can go as far backwards as possible. She also has a rope round her legs to stop them from moving and she must remove the seat of the rower to remain on her wheelchair.

Athletes taking part in Project Move train at the Siġġiewi Rowing Club.

“After a session, I feel like I am going to die,” she jokes. “But, then, I feel so satisfied that I have done it.”

The biggest regret you could have is not failing but failing to try- Daniela Borg

Farrugia, who has cerebral palsy, says he “cannot imagine a life without sport nowadays” and says he has found “another family” through regular training.

Mallia, an amputee following a road accident, encourages others to get involved. “If you have 30 minutes (or more) for watching TV or time for endless scrolling on your phone, then you have time for sport and exercise. We should focus our limited time on things that are good for us and make us stronger.”

Coach Leanne Xuereb Ungaro in action after being given specialist training.

MPC secretary Julian Bajada said the project aims to help people make the first move towards getting “off the sofa, break away from the excessive screen-scrolling culture and reap the lifelong benefits of healthy living through sport”.

The campaign taps into the global Paralympic movement’s vision that ‘Change Starts with Sport’. Currently, 10 of the club’s 75 members are para-athletes.

Indoor rowing was chosen because it has low impact on the body, can be done seated, includes strength and cardiovascular activity and combines both individual and team work.

Equipment has been specially adapted for individuals with physical disabilities or mobility impairments, including wheelchair users or amputees.

Coaches have been sent abroad for specialist training and a boathouse for storing the equipment is expected to be operational by the summer.

Kurt Farrugia and Owen Mallia Kurt Farrugia, who has cerebral palsy, says he cannot imagine life without sport, and Owen Mallia, who lost his leg following a road traffic accident.

SRC and MPC are calling on people of all abilities to join, whether beginners or seasoned athletes, young or old or without disabilities.

The initiative is funded by the Small Initiatives Support Scheme, managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector and supported by the ministry for inclusion and the voluntary sector.

Indoor rowing sessions are held at the indoor sports facility at Dar Tal-Providenza in Siġġiewi and sessions can be booked online via https://siggiewi-rowing.com/book/ or by contacting siggiewi.rowing@gmail.com.

Get in touch with MPC via WhatsApp on + 356 79010594, e-mail on info@paralympic.mt or Facebook on https://www.facebook.com/MaltaParalympicCommittee.