Turning passion into purpose: Athlete advocacy in action

One of those athletes is Paralympic blind footballer Roy Turnham (pictured above).

Roy joined the inaugural PACT cohort in 2024, bringing with him a deep passion for ensuring that the sense of empowerment and belonging he discovered through sport is accessible to everyone. Through the programme, Roy developed the skills to turn that passion into action. Soon after, he founded Vision Through Action, a community initiative providing accessible sport and fitness opportunities for visually impaired adults and young people in his hometown of Hull.

“My passion for disability awareness soared upon hearing stories of sight loss exclusion and low expectations. I founded Vision Through Action because I’m determined to ensure no one feels locked out of the life-changing benefits of sport and fitness.”

Invited back to speak to the 2025 cohort, Roy reflected on his journey and shared his advice with the group. He spoke about arriving to the programme with a strong but unfocused desire to make a difference, and how the training helped him distil his ideas into a clear and actionable vision. He also emphasised an important mindset shift: moving from feeling the need to have all the answers, to embracing curiosity and learning through asking questions.

Roy also highlighted the importance of collaboration and recognising that meaningful change is rarely achieved alone. This is a learning that Roy was able to put into practise on the day, connecting with 2025 PACT participants Scarlett and Eliza Humphrey who share the same mission. Since PACT, the twin sisters have brought their expertise as Para swimmers into Roy’s work, helping to design and deliver swimming-focused sessions within his disability-specific sports workshops.

Scarlett and Eliza are powerful advocates in their own right. As elite swimmers with visual impairments, they are passionate about raising awareness of inclusion in sport. Through their shared social media platform, they offer an authentic and insightful window into their everyday lived experiences. From explaining how they navigate podium celebrations at competitions without visual cues, to how they are able to vote independently whilst blind, they create engaging and insightful content.

Beyond social media, Scarlett and Eliza extend their influence through school visits and organisational talks, helping to embed inclusive practices at every level. They have already seen tangible changes, with their advice being adopted and demonstrating how small, consistent actions can lead to meaningful progress.

Together, these stories illustrate the power of athlete advocacy when supported in the right way. Through programmes like PACT, ParalympicsGB is enabling athletes to transform personal passion into purposeful action and creating a ripple effect of positive change.

This is how social impact grows: athlete by athlete, story by story, community by community and building a more inclusive world through sport.

Find out more about Impact at ParalympicsGB