For this female para athlete, tragedy becomes life changing

MANILA, Philippines – The life of an athlete is a difficult path for anybody to follow, but for a para athlete like Kathryn Tan, it takes even more discipline to keep herself grounded in the world of sports.

Tan has been playing basketball without her left arm since she was 10 years old after an unfortunate accident in 1996.

Instead of shying away from the sport, the female baller kept persevering. 

"After the accident, I wasn't sure how the outside world would perceive me being different," Tan said in an interview during the launch of Nike's Hyper Court For Her.

"Basketball gave me an opportunity to show myself and my confidence... it helped me, it became my therapy," she said.

Tan played for De La Salle-Santiago Zobel in her elementary and high school years but chose to focus on her studies in college. 

Now, she works as a junior graphic designer in Zobel but still finds herself coming back to the court — and Tan knows she's playing for more than just herself.

"I really just wanted to play the game that I love and through the process of playing basketball, people tell me I inspire them," the 32-year-old said.

"It feels good to be able to show my love for the game and also inspire young people, especially women." she added.

Despite the setback she suffered through the accident, Tan never let her disability slow her down. Using the basketball as her stage, Tan continues to make the most out of her life.

"The accident really wasn't a tragic thing for me, yun yung naging life changing for me to be who I really am... Through basketball, I can show that I am different and I can also excel at what I do," she said.