Cerebral Palsy, Parasailing, and the CrossFit Open (Feat. Adam Billany)

Mat Hotho sits down with Adam Billany, a British adaptive athlete competing in both parasailing and CrossFit. Adam was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at around age two; it affects both legs while leaving his upper body completely unaffected, a combination that's made him formidable in the weight room (a 106-kilogram bench press, roughly 1.6x bodyweight) and on the water.Adam is a multiple international medalist in parasailing—competing in the RS Venture Connect class—with silver medals at the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 European Championships.The conversation covers what parasailing actually is (adaptive sailing, not what you picture behind a boat), how skill and concentration dwarf raw strength in the sport, and what it takes to race a five-meter, 200-kilogram boat against a field of ten to twenty competitors on open water. Adam also shares what it was like growing up with CP in northeast England—navigating mainstream sports with a supportive group of friends, landing on the British Paralympic development pathway in high school, and continuing to compete at the world level even after sailing lost its Paralympic status.Released during Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, this one's for anyone with CP who's been on the fence about training, or who just needs a reminder that it's never too late to start.Send us Fan MailFollow the podcast on Instagram: @TheAdaptiveAthletePod