Paraclimbing Ambassador
907. Anoushé Husain
Anoushé Husain, from London, is an inspirational disability mentor and para-climbing ambassador who shares her own life experiences and phenomenal achievements in order to help others unlock their own potential.
She was born missing her right arm below the elbow, has survived cancer, and lives with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Anoushé, who is a Civil Servant at the Department for Education, was undeterred by those who suggested she couldn’t lead an active life after several pain-staking surgeries. Despite initially experiencing crippling pain and being out of breath after 400 metres, she took up climbing as a way to rehabilitate from the cancer treatment and is now ranked 3rd in the UK in her disability category and is training to join Team GB.
Anoushé writes, speaks and campaigns to encourage people that sport can be done by everyone, regardless of physical capabilities. She is an ambassador for ‘LimbPower’, the leading amputee and limb different charity, and for ‘Ehlers Danlos Support UK’. She featured in ‘The British Mountaineering Council’s’ ‘This Girl Can Climb’ campaign, and has founded ‘Paraclimbing London’, an initiative to make climbing more accessible for people of all abilities and backgrounds. She also works with ‘Grit&Rock’, a foundation aiming to get girls from socially deprived backgrounds empowered through climbing and she was most recently featured in the Alternative Rich List.
In a personal letter to Anoushé, Prime Minister Theresa May said:
“As a disability champion and charity ambassador, your story is inspiring others to believe in their own abilities. You should feel enormously proud of inspiring the next generation of para-climbers and encouraging people of all abilities to participate in sport.”
Anoushé said:
“I’ve been in a slight state of shock to hear that I’m receiving a Points of Light Award. To hear that I’m joining a community of volunteers who are driving much-needed change in our society is both humbling and a huge honour. I use my story and platform to highlight the plight of those stigmatised by society in order to change the misconceptions around these groups. This award will allow me to draw strength and drive from such a strong network of volunteers so that I can keep talking about the things that we as a society do not talk about enough and empower people to unlock their own potential.”