After a life-changing diagnosis, Michael Crawford Hick launched The Disability Sports Network to spotlight disabled athletes through powerful, authentic photography.

Could you take us back to the specific moment or catalyst that made you decide to turn the idea for "The Disability Sports Network" into a reality?

After my collapse and coming terms with a new way of life, I had some mental health therapy, many chats with my GP and finally a neurologist it was around late September 2022 and all those things came together, so after the neurologists final diagnosis its FND I went home and had a cup of tea as us brits always do in a crises and thought what I was going to do with my life.

Being struck down with FND is life-changing as you are in constant pain, with leg spasms, brain fog, speech difficulties, and tiredness, etc.

However, that evening I said I could not stay at home and watch TV/internet all day, and worked out what I could do instead of what I could not do, etc.

I realized I could do sports photography, but not water sports, such as sailing or jet skiing. However, I could sit by a court or track and let the action come to me. The regular, able-bodied sports were over-saturated with photography; However, the lack of good photos on the Disability side was severely lacking. So I set my eyes on that and did research. Eventually, due to the World Cup being played, I could not find any real information.

However, I found a one-day conference about access to disabled sports, which included a free lunch, so I said I would go. It was at that event that I found the name of The Disability Sports Network on January 20th, 2023. I purchased the domain name for £12 that lunchtime, having no idea what I was going to do; however, somehow, after putting my head together and spending another £100 on the website and some disabled sports stock photos. I had a website in 7 days and in my research I found a wheelchair basketball game on the 28th, when I launched the website with only stock photos and a bit of publicity via Instagram, Linkedin and twitter I was getting 30 plus visitors a day and that continued to be like that for 2 months.

So, an investment of £120, I started this company on a whim. I said, if I lose that money, no harm done. However, it went the other way and started gaining traction like I have never seen before.

On your "About Me" page, you speak about your lifelong passion for sports. How has your personal experience directly shaped the mission and values of the network?

Water sports, boating was introduced to me at an early age as we lived just 100 yards from the beach, my dad liked fishing so that I would join him occasionally on the local beach, and then later on a boat that his friend had, and we would go into Poole & Bournemouth bays and fish. This was for ages 5-6. I was introduced to this program during my final two years of secondary school, where I had the option to participate in summer PE lessons, which included Athletics or learning to sail, canoe, and engage in other outdoor activities. At 15, I was introduced to sailing in Christchurch, Dorset.

After I left school, I worked at several companies. If you are in the Poole/Bournemouth area, you likely know people who sail and enjoy activities on the water. Therefore, being on the water for fun was a great way to relax.

Then, as life took me different directions, I would attend the Annual Boat show in London and Southampton and take day trips to the Isle of Wight (this is the correct spelling of Wight) for "Cowes week," an 8-day event with around 800-plus sailing boats. I went there to watch and photograph the colourful spinnaker as they came into Cowes Harbour. I knew I had to do more with Water sports in general.

Could you please discuss your book?

I had thought I needed to write the book in early 2024, but there are 4 plus versions of it on my computer, and none did the journey justice. So, later that year, I attended the Paralympics and returned home on the Monday after, only to have a networking event on the Wednesday. I was exhausted from 14 days of photography, but being at the biggest event of my life was incredible and inspiring for so many reasons. Somehow, I made a promise to the Federation of Small Businesses that I would bring a sample of images. Somehow, I managed, in my tired state, to print off 10 photos just in time; they were random ones and were printed on A3. I don't think people were expecting to see these 10 still images, as on TV, you only see moving images.

Anyway, I told the story of me (in the book) to the organiser. She said you have to write the story, especially now that you have been to the Paralympics. I have said I have tried; however, that set off a chain reaction with others saying you need to show these to the world, and over the next 3 or so, other people told me to write it. Just before Christmas, I found a ghostwriter and discussed the project, with things scheduled to happen in early January 2025. I had a deadline as I wanted to launch it at a boot camp on March 16th. With proofing complete, sample copies done, and numerous pre-orders in, I received the book on March 9, 2025. It was so satisfying that I still could not believe I had written it. Yes, there were additional helps along the way. The most satisfying was posting those pre-orders into a large mailbox in the centre of town with a resounding thud. I had to shut down that sound as I kept feeding the post box copies, people actually paid for, and they want to read my story! Wow.

I also sent the book to a number of medical staff who helped me, and other key people who have helped me, and I am getting amazing feedback, just to say I have published a boos mine and’s mine and done in low numbers, but the process is the same for a best seller.

This book, for me and others, is proof that if you are given something life-changing, you can turn it around into a positive outcome that has generated a lot of joy and opportunities along the way. I also hope it has helped other people along the way.

In your view, what has been the most significant impact of the network on the community it serves so far?

Seeing the disbelief in people's faces when they see my work, and almost every time they ask ‘‘Is that your work?’’ Well, yes, it is. I think they think that because of my disability, I cannot do this amazing work, well, hello, I can.

I am proving to a lot of people that disabled people can do this. Just trust us when we say we can. I am fortunate to have the support of Small Business Britain and the Federation of Small Businesses, which both promote this work and me, and they both did amazingly at the Paralympics. My work is being reviewed by many people, and still is today.

I want to show that these disabled athletes are amazing sportsmen and women who dedicate their lives to one goal: to get to the Paralympics and hopefully get a medal. However, just being there like me for the first time as well, it's just AWESOME to be surrounded by top people, your peers, and tens of thousands of people cheering on each team or person there. The sound of the crowd is intense, and I'm trying to take photos; however, you’re trying to be in the moment as a point is scored or someone wins a heat. It's electrifying beyond your imagination.

Is there a particular story or piece of feedback that has stuck with you?

I think this belongs to the Turkish lady who was playing ping pong at the Paralympics, I went there to try a new sport and took a few photos, however I saw initially this lady and took a few shots then it was odd I said there is something about her, on closer inspection of her playing I noticed she had two promethium legs as well as missing an arm. I did a double-take, but that to me is just amazing, which is why I put her on the cover of my Paralympic magazine. People needed to see her dedication to get to that level.

Your site mentions "filling a void." Could you describe that "void" in media coverage and public recognition of disability sports in more detail?

Filling the void, when I researched disabled sports to participate in, I found a lack of decent images or even correctly captured images, which were so poor. I said to myself, I could do better when I had the worst migraine and was very tired, I could do better.

I am being proven right, and a major news outlet editor confirmed this after reviewing four photos out of the 25 I had brought to an event. Was WOW where were these when the Paralympics were on? That was the best compliment I could get from the editor-in-chief of a news agency.

Can you talk about the Olympics and the Disability Sports Network?

The Olympics/Paralympics were a distant milestone. As I photographed these sailing yachts at Cowes week, I never thought I was good enough, so I continued with my usual 9-5 job (robotics engineering).

However, as I was busy setting up my company, I missed the deadline for a press pass, which was a shame, as I was more than three months past. However, I kept asking nicely if there was any news on 2nd hand one, where a big company now only needs 40. Now they are sending, say, 35, they return the remaining back to the Paralympics, and sometime in March 2024, I got the email saying that I had been given one. To say I was over the moon/on cloud 9 was an understatement.

I eventually, later that day, thanked Kate for this, and the rest is history, so to speak. Once I got to the Paralympics, I was able to meet Kate and the head photographer of Team GB, who has "vetted me", eg, the company name The Disability Sports Network, and my photography made me a firm favorite to get a pass.

I am now on the Paralympics email list and have already been approved for one of the winter Paralympics, scheduled for March 2026.

Photo by Michael Crawford Hick Director/Photographer The Disability Sports Network cic www.thedisabilitysportsnetwork.com

Your "Hire Me" page lists you as a public speaker. What is the core message you hope your audience takes away from your talks?

I love sharing my journey with people, which is why I wrote the book. However, in my past life as a robotics engineer, I have taught people how to use our products, helped them design stuff, and even trained rehabilitation engineers and Occupational therapy staff on wheelchair controllers on how to get the best for their clients.

I want to do more speaking arrangements, but until I had written this book, published two magazines, and a calendar, I did not have the "credentials" to back up my story; now I do.

As a consultant, what are the most common mistakes you see organizations or media outlets make when they try to cover or engage with disability sports?

The main mistake that organizers who are not disabled make when commissioning photography from non-disabled photographers or writers is that they view the sports from a standing position, rather than a sitting position. It's a challenging one to explain; however, my mindset was changed when I photographed a wheelchair rugby game at the 2023 Invictus Games. All of a sudden, an urge came over me, and I said, ‘‘Concentrate on the person, not the game.’’ I was mid-shoot when I changed my perspective, and WOW, my photography has changed for the better from that moment onwards.

However, an able-bodied person will never get this, as they are not disabled; they do not see it from my lived experience of limited movement, pain, and a host of other things that make me disabled.

How have technology and social media changed the game for the visibility of disabled athletes, for the better?

Yes, technology has made my life a lot easier, but it has also made it a lot harder. As I can take a photo and see it straight away, now an editor around the world wants that within the hour, all captioned, keywords, and corrected if necessary..Now I am capturing 800-1600 images in 1 hour of gameplay, which is a lot of images to go through. I can do it and pick out 10 good ones and get the fans excited around 35-40 minutes later.

However, I cannot get an entirely correctly captioned one done in that time, I have now learnt. So next time I am at an event, I will probably upload all the images to a server, and let a trusted person check that everything is OK and can caption those images for me, then upload them to the editors, stock libraries, and social media channels, which are literally under no time pressure. As we quite often say in wheelchair basketball games, there is less than 45 minutes from the end of one game to the next.

So, in short, I need an assistant who can do that for me. Well, all the other large agencies, such as the Press Association, Getty, and others, have staff; why not a single-person operator?

Then, when I get back to the hotel, all I need to do is back up my photos to an external hard drive. Charge batteries and sort out various memory cards ready for tomorrow's challenges.

However, I did get a shot of a British guy being punched in the face, and in these 35 minutes between games, I got it up on my Instagram and others, and by chance, my teammate was in my path, and I said Have you seen this? NO, it was an instant hit. Then the organiser walked through and said he saw it, and said, 'Great, so that was less than 5 minutes after I had uploaded the shot.

However, with digital photos, I can instantly share them with anyone around the world. This is crucial, as evidenced by the American big teams, which are seeing images within a few minutes and accessing them on their phones while still watching the game. This will encourage people to share and chat about this as they walk out of the venue and into a restaurant, on the train, or a car ride home, and so on. Excited fans are leaving the stadium after the game.

What advice would you give to a young disabled athlete just starting and seeking a community or recognition?

Just like any sport or work job, do your best to show up, train, and get a good mentor, as they will teach you a lot more than you think.

Also get some decent photos of you for your social media not because its my business, as good photos can show the world you mean business, I have seen some awful photos and some of these people are so called professionals yes it costs money, but remember the photographer does have lots of contacts across the sports field and if you need more advice on how to get to your next stage ask him or her, they may be able help. Or at least point you in the right direction.

However, also get someone good at social media. It's not all about getting likes on Instagram; there's a story to be told. For example, what obstacles did you have to overcome to reach your next level? Newspapers and other publishers look for these kinds of stories, also get a website, and show where you are doing your sport. No one else will publish you; that's up to you, with some planning from people who know about these things.

I don't know everything in detail, however, I can take and choose the best photos, but I need someone to add "context & interesting words" to promote that person or sport. Yes, it costs a little, but it's well worth it. If all else fails, you will have a great set of photos and a story about the time you did this. It's an achievement, and not everyone makes it. But one day, someone will come across the photo/article and say, Well, if they could do it, then I can as well.

For people not directly involved in disability sports, what is the most critical thing they can do to be better allies and support the cause?

Support your local grassroots events for disabled sports by volunteering to help train participants (numerous courses are available), fundraising for them, making a donation, or encouraging your company to provide financial support. Alternatively, consider lending them the use of your vehicle at no cost. Help them with their social media, there are so many ways, even going along and keeping score, making the tea, or just cheering them on, it is all needed. That's why I photograph the fans as well, as they are making a lot of noise behind me. I wonder why, but that cheering is what keeps the players motivated, as well as all the team officials, knowing they have a very supportive crowd behind them. Without the fans, the sports would be boring and if you don't know what a goal or point score is being made then go to a large game don't care what sport, find a seat in the middle of the crown and feel the noise vibrate through your body, I cannot describe what it feels like. The first big crowd was at Twickenham for an Army and Navy match, with 52,000 fans. I could tell what was happening with the back to the field, and when they scored, then WOW, that's the atmosphere is just electrifying.

To wrap up, what are you working on now? Are there any exciting projects or upcoming initiatives for The Disability Sports Network you'd like to share?

The new things I am working on are building a new website for The Disability Sports Network and separating my photography to keep the purpose cleaner.

I am bringing 3-4 people on board as directors. Why, well, I now need guidance from other people, along with ideas that I have not thought about. I can apply for grants, etc, as typically you need three directors for most financial awards. Additionally, it lends the business a more reputable feel as I begin to employ people. I am also bringing in people to support my day-to-day behind-the-scenes work, such as managing my photos, social media, and creating a new magazine format, as well as arranging interviews for the magazine. Plus, selling advertising space to fund all of this.

Additionally, I need to raise funds to attend the Paralympics, as well as support a crew, since I have discovered that the hotel bill for 12 days is prohibitively expensive. In Italy, I need a cold-weather kit to survive in the snow while taking photos.

In the future, I want to see my magazine published at least bi-monthly and train photographers and videographers to help with event coverage. Also, teach the locals in the grassroots to take better photos.

I am working hopefully with a school and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP or Social Security elsewhere) to train people or show them the opportunities that are available for disabled and non-disabled events at all levels.

Finally, I want to help disabled people enjoy life, whether that's in front of or behind the camera, in a sport or just on the sidelines, it does not matter; however, if someone is inspired to do something positive with their life, then my work is done. We can show that to the world and say hello, I am here to change your life, and mean it.

All photos in this interview are by: Michael Crawford Hick founder of The Disability Sports Network.

Keep up with Michael and The Disability Sports Network:

Michael Crawford Hick
Director/Photographer

The Disability Sports Network cic
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