TV presenter and disability advocate, Sophie Morgan, talks about her journey of adapting to her physical disability, embracing her situation, and testing the limits of her abilities. She shares her admiration for Frida Kahlo and discusses the liberating power of authenticity. Sophie reflects on her life-altering accident, the importance of celebrating life after paralysis, and confronting discrimination as a wheelchair user. She emphasizes personal growth and excitement for the future.
Sophie Morgan found ways to embrace her situation and test the limits of her ability, ultimately becoming more alive, purposeful, and fulfilled in life.
Sophie emphasizes the importance of honoring and making peace with your past, recognizing the impact it has on your present self.
Change in society's perceptions of disability requires a collective effort, with disabled individuals speaking out, society shifting its perceptions, and governments implementing supportive measures.
Deep dives
Overcoming Fear and Embracing Liberation
In this podcast episode, Fern Cotton interviews Sophie Morgan, a TV presenter, writer, and disability activist. Sophie shares her journey of overcoming fear and embracing liberation after being paralyzed in a car crash at the age of 18. She emphasizes the importance of not being paralyzed by fear and instead moving towards it. Sophie's soon-to-be-published memoir, 'Driving Forwards,' explores her experiences of navigating an ableist world in a wheelchair and delves into emotions such as fear, pain, gratitude, and joy. Through her candid storytelling, Sophie aims to inspire others and challenge society's perceptions of disability.
Reconciling with the Past and Honoring Younger Self
Sophie reflects on the process of reconciling with her past self and honoring her younger self. She delves into her initial feelings of disappointment and jealousy towards her former self, who embodied a wild and free-spirited nature. However, through writing her memoir and exploring her journey, Sophie embraces her past self's stubbornness, belligerence, and creativity as essential traits that have shaped her into the person she is today. She highlights the importance of honoring and making peace with your past, recognizing the impact it has on your present self.
Advocating for Change and Redefining Disability
As an award-winning disability activist, Sophie discusses the ongoing fight for change and redefining disability. She addresses the discrimination and challenges faced by disabled individuals, both on a personal and systemic level. Sophie believes that change requires a collective effort, with disabled individuals speaking out about their experiences, society shifting its perceptions, and governments implementing supportive measures. She strives to amplify disabled voices, challenge stereotypes, and promote inclusivity through her work in television and advocacy. Despite the obstacles, Sophie remains hopeful and continues to fight for a more accessible and accepting world.
Overcoming Fear and Embracing Life
The speaker discusses the importance of facing fear and not letting it paralyze or hinder one's life. They share personal experiences of confronting fear and realizing that it is the key to personal growth and liberation. By pushing past fear, one can break through to the other side and experience a renewed sense of being alive.
The Healing Power of Art
The speaker highlights the transformative role of art in their life, particularly during a period of prolonged bed rest. They describe how art became a powerful tool for expression, allowing them to navigate through physical limitations and find a sense of freedom. Through painting, they discovered a way to reconnect with themselves and overcome the challenges of their circumstances.
At 18 years old, Sophie Morgan was in a car crash, and was instantly paralysed from the chest down. Eighteen years on, she is now one of the only TV presenter’s in the world with a physical disability. She’s also an artist and an award-winning disability advocate. Sophie speaks passionately about how adversity influences her life to be filled with more gratitude.
In this chat with Fearne, Sophie talks about how, after her injury, she felt as paralysed by fear as she was by her physical body, but as she adapted to her body, and the inaccessible world around her, she found ways to embrace her situation, to throw herself into physical challenges and test the limits of her ability, so that ultimately she became more alive, more purposefully and more fulfilled in life. She and Fearne also share an admiration for Mexican painting, the icon, Frida Kahlo, and they chat about how art can bring us all back to life.
Sophie’s first book, a powerful and remarkable memoir, that Fearne said “will change your perspective on life,” called ‘Driving Forwards’ will be available to buy in hardback, e-book, and as an audiobook from March 17th.