“Scandalous Train Debacle: Paralympian Under Fire for Controversial Missed Journey!”
The 11-time gold medal winner in wheelchair racing encountered the issue last Monday (August 26) while heading to the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.
The athlete arrived at the station after 10 pm, and no assistance was provided for her to disembark the train, leaving her in the awkward position of having to wait for someone to come and help or crawl off.
Grey-Thompson would later voice her frustration on X, saying she waited for 16 minutes before taking matters into her own hands, criticizing the lack of support from the London North Eastern Railway (LNER).
“Call your carer. Stop moaning and get off that train clown,” read one of the more offensive comments.
Paralympics legend Tanni Grey-Thompson reveals she faced online hate after complaining about having to “crawl off” a train while on her way to the 2024 Paris Summer Games
Image credits: tanni.co.uk
The athlete recounted her experience in an interview with The Guardian:
“I got down on the floor, pushed my bags and wheelchair off the train, and then climbed down myself. I started shouting on the platform, but there was no one around. I have a pretty loud voice – I can scream across a 400m track.”
She was eventually helped by a train manager from another service bound for Leeds who saw her struggling on the platform, but before that, she had to wait for more than 10 minutes, during which she tweeted for assistance to LNER in real-time.
“At 22:17 (the train arrived at 22:02) I decided to crawl off. I had to move all my belongings onto the platform. A cleaning staff member offered to help, but they’re not insured,” reads one of the posts.
