"His return to Europe has ignited his passion, allowing him to appreciate the beauty of the continent once more." That is an odd sentence. Do all of us with ME/CFS from Australasia just need a trip to Europe to reignite our passions and appreciate beauty? Was not appreciating the beauty of a continent a symptom of his illness?
Please may Casey Stoner not join the way too long list of celebrity ME/CFS sufferers who, rather than helpfully creating awareness of the disease, end up actually harming people.
I agree.
It's also an interesting example to dissect as almost a commentary on the cultural situation/factors that force people into that position too. Sportspeople and particularly certain sports are in a very particular situation vs other celebrities.
I'm assuming from this part:
As Stoner continues to reclaim his health, fans worldwide are left with a sense of hope and admiration for the champion’s remarkable journey back to wellness.
that is hasn't been written by him. And that the quote bit might be two parts bunged together by the author that didn't quite fit that way, or taken at a point where someone is having to say something in a rush.
It doesn't make the language inadvertent classic disability bigotry tropes one after another, which I guess might be partly 'excused' by I assume the author being someone who works in eg motorsports so genuine illness, rather than the more common fodder of having various injuries from accidents on the track or a bout of something acute that someone has to lose points for missing 1/2/3 events in the season, might be something they are lacking experience in writing for. And therefore I hope some feedback to them could be useful.
But they might also be having to be wary of the impact of writing about doubts and not doing the hero thing on people's prospects
I understand that there is a certain psychology of being a sportsperson, when I was an athlete I realised people used to try and psych each other out with tales of pb or whatnot on the start line. And just like all too many other jobs/business areas if you suggest there might be a problem that isn't overcomeable then you just make it guaranteed that it won't be possible, so it isn't necessary that the person thinks being positive changes recovery just that if they do recover but they've been circumspect about it then the support etc that goes with it has already gone anyway.
And motorsport is a business and involves sponsorship and merchandising and so on. I assume like F1 people also get their position on a team and could lose that.
Stoner’s recovery is not just a personal victory; it symbolizes resilience and the enduring spirit of athletes grappling with health challenges. His return to Europe has reignited his passion, allowing him to appreciate the beauty of the continent once more. As Stoner continues to reclaim his health, fans worldwide are left with a sense of hope and admiration for the champion’s remarkable journey back to wellness.
In a way I am divided because having something for several years, genuinely badly, or where we have had to or chosen to trudge through despite being ill then it is fair that this is acknowledged - with a strong line between saying what a tough journey that is or how they aren't fully well and it is tough for them to try and stick in there at sacrifice to themselves (as many of us had to with our work) and suggesting that it is either healthy or a good idea or that others who are more ill and so either don't have that option or get more ill from it just didn't have the attitude to overcome magicking the disability away.
Both need to be given respect. And I don't quite know how that happens when you aren't in control of your own brand or there being any point in doing all said fighting or sacrificing your social life and health to do it depends on not giving away your 'weaknesses' because others will take advantage of it etc. So culture ends up forcing nearly all to be bigoted or puts words in their mouths anyway. Few are actually in a position where they have either full control or can make that risk and still keep their voice.
Which of course is quite different to the LP converts doing their soundbites or writing books of advice etc.
I will be very impressed if he manages to pull it off and potentially I guess one side-step around is that he could still talk about those who weren't as fortunate and his respect for them and how cruel the illness is - but even then an editor is just as likely to decide not to include that para. It really is some dirty old vicious circle media-wise isn't it when you get people hired from a certain culture who genuinely believe 'their audience don't like x but do like y' etc but that's what they are feeding them so of course that's their answer.