FAITH, HOPE AND love jumps out from the detailed sleeve tattoo on Britney Arendse’s forearm.
“Faith in God because if we didn’t have God, I wouldn’t be here today,” the Paralympian tells The 42.
“Hope in coming back. I got a fourth chance in life, because my heart stopped three times — once in the ambulance and twice on the operating table. So hope that the paramedics and doctors could bring me back.
“And then love for all the people that have been with me through my journey.”
Ohana is another standout word. That’s a nod to Lilo and Stitch, Arendse says.
“Ohana means family — family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten,” as the film quote goes.
Fifteen years on from sustaining a spinal cord injury in a car accident, Arendse is preparing to compete at her second Paralympic Games.
The Cavan power lifter has been managing an elbow injury through the build-up, but all things considered, everything is going well. She flew to Paris on Wednesday, with her ‘up to 79kg’ benching final not until the last day of competition on 7 September.
Power lifting “came out of nowhere” for Arendse, who was born in South Africa and moved to Ireland with her family as a child.
She was initially recruited at a wheelchair basketball blitz aged 16, having previously tried several sports in hospital.
“You could represent your country and do a sport that you can really go far in,” Arendse was told at tryouts at the Irish Wheelchair Association. “You could become fitter, stronger – you’re built for it, basically.”
She went with it.
“Obviously not on the top of my list was Paralympic Games,” she says. “I just said, ‘Get the sport bigger, widely known — especially in Ireland, it wasn’t as known.
“Nicola [Dore] was the first woman on the team in Ireland. I said, ‘I might as well stand beside her and represent the sport for Ireland.’ Since that, it’s just been game after game, competition after competition, getting stronger. It’s just been a journey and a half!”
The rigorous training schedule, diet and introduction of nutritionists was difficult at first, but it’s something the 24-year-old has become accustomed to.
“The change in diet and routine was immense because I was still in school. When I started, I was in third year — training first after getting home, then homework, then eating and the rest, it was awkward to manage but over the space of two or three years, we kind of got used to it.”
Discipline and dedication levels went through the roof as Arendse prioritised her sport through Transition Year and Leaving Cert Applied.
“Others were getting food out of the canteen, I had to bring my food in with me because I couldn’t have the pizza, the sausage rolls in the canteen. I couldn’t have their hot chocolates and stuff, I had to bring my own coffee, water, Mi Wadi, sandwiches and salads.
“Kids would be staring at me and laughing at me, believe it or not, because I brought in tuna salad. They’d be like, ‘The smell of that’ – childish things, but I’d be like, ‘Listen, that’s my life now. Healthier eating.’
“I take to it very easily. I’m not too upset — it’s like, ‘Ah I can eat that in a month’s time,’ or look forward to it some other time. It does you good mentally. You’re focused when it comes to competition.”
Coached and spotted by her father, Denver, Arendse is ready for lift-off at her second Games.
Her personal best has shot up recently — qualifying with 128kg — in correlation with constantly rising standards across the sport.
She finished seventh with 107kg in the ‘up to 73kg’ category in Tokyo, while in her current weight class, 141kg took gold with 133kg and 132kg second and third respectively. There was a significant drop to fourth: 115kg. The highest-ranked qualifier this time around is 153kg.
Arendse, meanwhile, is fifth, and told RTÉ this week she is targeting the podium.
“I’m lifting heavier and heavier every year,” Arendse concludes.
“I’m just doing my best to keep up and build strength.”
Always lifting the bar.
Should get the city accountants to have a look at it, they could fix anything
@JimmyMc: Stupid comment
@JimmyMc: Brilliant comment.
@JimmyMc: brilliant comment.
@JimmyMc:
stupid comment
Citeh should have been awarded a penno , and the ref should have looked at it again after the episode . So var imo is only fair to a point , not in all situations .
@Tricksy: how can that be called handball? If it happens once more I’m finished with soccer.
@Sheila Teehan: because the ball hit the hand and that’s the rule now tough on city but there you go. Don’t worry it’ll balance out
@Eamonn O Connell: it’s already 3 nil to var in city games
@Martin Brennan: I’m sure they’ll get a few before the seasons out Martin don’t be fretting about it
@Sheila Teehan: lol absolutely seething
@Sheila Teehan: It’s called Football :)
@Sheila Teehan: Answer is in the question. It hit his hand!! If you don’t like the rule interpretation then I agree but can’t blame VAR for that.
@Sheila Teehan: under new rules brought in by uefa and national f.a’s ”if the ball hits or touches a players hand or arm -whether with intent to play the ball or impede the progress of the ball in order to deny or create a goal scoring opportunity then a foul will be deemed to have been committed” . if the ball had hit the spurs player in the same way it would have been deemed a penalty to city . can’t blame v.a.r for this – its a rule change made by uefa and national f,a’s . not v.a.r.
“They crossed the halfway way line maybe 4 or 5 times in the 90mins so we defended well” still conceded two goals. Rolls eyes
Personally I have no issue with VAR
It’s not VAR that needs fixing, the handball rule is a joke. Wolves denied a goal last weekend for something similar.
@Colm Coughlan: the handball rule was amended in order to accommodate the unintended consequences of VAR arising from last year’s World Cup. VAR was rushed in and has so far required amendment of the handball rule, penalty kick rules and offside officiating rules. There will be more changes to the rules in order to accommodate VAR. Scrap it.
@JoeO: I don’t think scrapping it is the way to go. It is working. La Porte hand balled it according to the rules, and they reviewed that in the context of the rules.
@Mushy Peas: The rules need to be changed, the handball needs to be deliberate. Laporte went to head the ball,same as Boly did last weekend.
@Colm Coughlan:
the handball needs to be deliberate…
stop being dim….your idea is subjective which is what VAR is trying to stop
When did ball to hand stop being a thing? Ridiculous rule, City robbed of a winner
@Fergus O’Connor: The 1st of June, 2019. The new handball rule states that any handball, whether intentional or unintentional, that leads to goal will see the goal disallowed. So yeah, the 1st of June, 2019 is when it stopped being a thing.
@Evan Dunne: it’s a bit daft though the new rule isn’t it and nod you’ll have attacker’s trying to kick the ball at someone’s hand to get the decision. Ridiculous.
@Sean: an attacker kicking a ball at someones hand doesnt lead to a goal though does it
@Sean: I think the theory is to take away the argument if its accidental or not. It is a stupid rule, but we might see more goals, although it will favour the top teams as they attack more.
@Evan Dunne: absolute bollokcs, game is gone
@will stamp: Could lead to a penalty though
@Fandandi: Accidental ball to hand still won’t lead to penalty only if it leads to a goal will it be disallowed..they were going on about it being stupid rule on MOTD
@Mick paisley: no thats not quite the theory – it was amongst a number of small rule changes from this season – it is in relation to handball incidents that lead to goals scored – people here are (understandably ) confusing with handball incidents that should be a penalty – the rule basically says that any contact with hands in an attacking move that results in a goal will be disallowed – and var can be used to check that now –
@Evan Dunne: also ‘on the other hand’ “any contact between the hand or arm (deemed as being ”from the end of the shoulder to the tip of the index finger) and the ball by a defending player in the goal area will be deemed a penalty” so it cuts both ways – there was some debate before the champions league final that we ‘might see attacking players ‘deliberately’ aiming to hit a defenders arm to try to win a penalty under the new rules ..
@Eric Davies:
isnt it crazy that your “quote” is not mentioned in UEFAs document.
https://img.fifa.com/image/upload/khhloe2xoigyna8juxw3.pdf
its like u made it up…
VAR will eventually destroy the game . Part of the excitement/ passion is the uncertainty of what will happen next. Will the ref make a mistake, will he miss a foul it all adds to the drama. As it stands both teams might as well be playing subutteo.
@martin hayes: What you described was what made the game so passionate, going to die a slow death but maybe we will all go back to grass routes where we can laugh and cry in equal measure at the injustice at the final whistle
@martin hayes: except this is an article about the injustice of a decision.
dont think v.a.r itself will destroy the game – but the idiots at fifa /uefa and national f.a’s certainly will … rule changes and new interpretations of the rules being made by people who have never played the game to any decent level (if at all) mostly ‘political’ and ‘financially motivated’ appointments ,most these people have no experience of the game and are only actually involved for financial reasons – ie their company sponsors a cup or tournament .. these farcical decisions and the growing ‘power’ given to tv companies is what will destroy the game -not var technology
Give Aguero a hug there Pep lad
City were superb and if that’s not a peno on Rodri in first half I don’t know what I’m watching? Not a person who seen it wouldn’t give it but ref and var said no!!! And Kane was a passenger again, he scores goals but his overall play is shocking, said before he has no pace so push up tight on him and spurs can’t get out exactly what city did as he’s no threat in behind, spurs were blessed to get a draw out of that.
@Dougal67: Parrott in!
They’ll still win the league this year. And probably by a large margin
Why does it “need fixing”? If the decision is right, the decision is right, no matter the circumstances.
If VAR had been present last season, City would have finished second. Was it “fixed” then?
@James Doyle:
ok i’ll bite. why would they have finished second? and i hope you have checked all games instead of pointing out one liverpool gain
Wait till a game of relagation or top 4 importance what then millions of pounds up for grabs
Trickled in ?,he buried it in fairness,great finish
Sour grapes
@Chris OB: sour -,my arse is sour right now after a bottle of Red and a Tbone but var and those behind it are clearly Liverpool supporters – not city supporter but they have now being Robbed 4 times by Var in Last 2 games v Spurs
@Martin Brennan: I wouldn’t say they’ve been robbed as VAR is only following the rule – it’s a stupid rule – but City have certainly been hard done by. I love watching City play and hope they benefit from VAR as the season goes on. Spurs are bound to be on the other side of VAR as well before the season ends.
@Martin Brennan: var or no var football and referee decisions are always swings and roundabouts. Everyone has an agenda ….Peps moans are sour grapes end of!
@Chris OB: I think you’re being very hard on Pep there. He actually took it well and he was rightly cheesed off that they got no penalty in the first half.
What’s ridiculous is that had the ball touched the defenders arm rather than Laporte it wouldn’t have been a penalty.
@ger o’ dwyer: exactly they can spin it all they want in City V Spurs games it’s now
4- 0 to Var V city in two games. It’s crazy
@ger o’ dwyer: why is that ridiculous ? they are trying to stop any advantage for attacking using hands ???? so they have the ability with VAR to disallow goals hands are involved in the attack – it’s football – the ball to hand excuse cannot be used to gain any advantage in terms of scoring goals – but it would be harsh to be giving penalties ball to hand with no discretion – plus open to abuse – so it isn’t quite as ridiculous at all actually. Its a pretty clear rule actually – no use of hands- in any way- that results in a goal can be allowed. It is football after all ….
Jokeshop nonsense eating away at the beautiful game.
“But it was a handball under the new rules”. The only reason there was a new rule is because of VAR!
Scrap it altogether, its sucked the fun out of football. The PC approach is killing the game, players need those dodgy decision to instigate famous performances. VAR has killed thr appeal of football.
@Peter D Keating:
fake account
I wonder if Pep would still think it needs fixing if the disallowed goal had been for Tottenham!
@Stephen Collins:
probably he would…he has supported it even when the desicions went against his team.you do remember CL last season? i wonder if you thought your comment would be “funny”
My only issue as a Liverpool fan is the 770 city left me down for var can be so cruel lol
Is this bog-bollerey or whacking little white balls around a field supposed to be somehow important? P.S. Got on here by total accident. Couldn’t care less how many sweaty guys are kicking a children’s toy around a muddy field.
@Pat Farrelly: good kick up the h**e is what you need, (by total accident)