Wikinews speaks with Claire Harvey

September 9, 2012

London, England &mdash; Thursday, Wikinews spoke with Claire Harvey, the captain of Great Britain's Sitting Volleyball Team after her team's loss to Japan.

You guys played a great game. The level of the play was just fantastic and all around you.
 * Claire Harvey: Thank you.

So you're Claire Harvey...
 * Claire Harvey: Yes.

... and you're the captain.
 * Claire Harvey: Yes. Yeah. That's right.

Are you guys planning to qualify for Rio?
 * Claire Harvey: Absolutely! This was always about... we were always going to be the underdogs. We're the only team that weren't in Beijing. Most of us didn't start playing volleyball until 2009, so this was always going to be a very, very tough competition for us. We used the home slot. We earned it absolutely but we very much used it knowing that this was going to be a very tough competition but it's about gaining experience in this sort of arena that you don't get in any other arena, to take us forward into Rio.

Were you really happy with the level of government support?
 * Claire Harvey: Yes, absolutely! Volleyball England, the VPI, Paralympics GB, have been amazing in supporting us and getting us as a group of people who'd never played volleyball before to where we are now in two and a half years.

Good news I guess is that you came out of the closet. Do you think you'll be an inspiration for other people with disabilities from that community to take up the sport?
 * Claire Harvey: I hope. I mean, I guess. To me it's not been big news. I've never been in the closet. I need everything that I am to take me on that court as best I can and that's part of me, so it's quite a shock to me when it became big news because to me its just a part of everyday life. I'd like to think I'm an athlete first, and if being gay is part of that, and gives young people some inspiration then all well and good.

Thank you very much.
 * Claire Harvey: You're welcome.