Paralympic champion Emma Wiggs MBE visited the School to share her remarkable story of resilience, intrinsic motivation, and the power of choice. From overcoming paralysis at eighteen to winning multiple medals on the world stage, she reminded boys that greatness comes not from circumstance, but from the determination to carry on – always asking, “Will it make the boats go faster?”
Writes Leo C. (6th)
The story of Emma Wiggs is a story of resilience, a characteristic that does and must continue to define Merchant Taylors’ Boys.
When she was eighteen, she was paralysed from the waist down, but she did not let this moment define her life in a bad light. She has won three gold medals for our nation at the Paralympics and has rightly received an MBE.
‘It is such a blessing to me that I can say I am healthier now than before I was paralysed’
She talked about how a positive competitive spirit with her teammates pushed her to compete harder, and how, despite her medal in Tokyo being gold, she was more proud of her Silver in Paris, because she knew she worked harder and did better in Paris. This is a fantastic lesson in intrinsic motivation, and it is the exact sort of principles we must try and instil in ourselves moving forward.
The quotation she had put on the inside of her door was ‘Will it make the boats go faster?’ She spoke brilliantly about how, every day, as she saw this, she was reminded that she had a choice, even on her worst days, and how being reminded that she had a choice gave her the agency to carry on.
It is a great privilege to be reminded that greatness is a choice that we have, and I think it is safe to say, we were inspired by such enthusiasm in the face of adversity.
