Skip to content

From Russian orphan to Team USA

Tatyana McFadden was born in Russia with spina bifida - a deformity of the spine - and placed in Orphanage Three, Saint Petersburg.

But at the age of six, a chance meeting with an American dignitary would change her life.

She would discover wheelchair racing and go on to win 17 Paralympic medals and multiple marathon titles for Team USA, but there would also be a high profile legal battle against the US government.

Presented by Beth Rose with Tatyana McFadden and her adopted mother, Deborah.

27 April 2018

Explore More

Men can be seen standing near the broken plane

Footage shows survivors walking from crashed Azerbaijani plane

Jean McKenzie wearing a cream coat standing by a busy street in Seoul in the evening

What just happened in South Korea?

A back-and-white image of former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh speaking in front of a microphone

Former Indian PM Manmohan Singh: In his own words

A wooden bookshelf full of old books. The majority on the left have been attached to the shelf with large metal chains, which are dangling off the edge.

The library where books are kept under lock and key

Lydia Hepworth bites an orange

Ambulance crew reunite with mum and baby they saved

Former prisoner Lee Jack, wearing a black coat, smiles while looking at the camera - he's standing behind a cafe counter with cakes and biscuits in glass jars

The cafe helping prisoners escape a life of crime

Tayside & Central Scotland

Manmohan Singh

Watch: Former Indian PM Manmohan Singh's life and legacy

Stacey, Jason, Nessa, Smithy and Gavin laughing on a sofa.

What do fans think of the Gavin & Stacey finale?

Runners dressed in Santa hats line up on the beach ready to run into the sea.

Watch: Hundreds run into sea at Boxing Day dips

Group of around 30 people in front of a snow house with someone dressed as Santa on the roof.

The Glaswegian who spends Christmas in Antarctica

Big Zuu stands in a Christmas-decorated kitchen

Big Zuu takes on Christmas leftovers

Charles Cavey in his black, tubular bin with his arms, and guitar neck protruding from the side holes. The black bin has LITTER in gold writing on its side

Meet the man who busks from inside a litter bin

Character Jesse Chadwick dressed in a wedding suit hugs smiling wife Gail in the back of a car.

Watch: Helen Worth's final scene as Gail after 50 years

King Charles standing in the chapel decorated with Christmas trees and white lights.

Watch: King speaks of 'pride' at unity shown after riots

Space crew on ISS

Watch: ISS crew sends Christmas greetings from space

Science & Environment

A pork pie

Pork pie shop's unique creations for Christmas

Christmas Day hike

'Christmas Day hikes have been life-changing'

A black and white image of a popular 1950s television puppet called Hank the Cowboy

What London's children got for Christmas in 1952

Queen smiling into the camera in 1957.

Archive: Queen's first televised Christmas message

Soldier is looking at a screen.

Where is Santa right now? These people know

Jennie Berry, on Newcastle's Grey street during Sociability mapping day

'It's not as simple as saying we're accessible'

Sociability is an app which provides accessibility information for people with disabilities.

Ms Hall and her assistance dog, Sailor

Assistance dog turns RSPCA inspector's life around

Caroline Hall says her dog Sailor has improved "every aspect" of her life after a spinal stroke.

Michael and James Owen

'I'd swap eyes with my son if I could'

Former England striker Michael Owen says he would "swap eyes" with his son if it was possible to help the teenager see again.

The Tame family in the woods

Disabled parenting: ‘There’s loads of joy’

Nina Tame speaks to Anita Rani about her experience of being a parent with spina bifida.

Nikki Fox in front of a purple background

Huw Edwards on depression: 'I'm not the least bit embarrassed'

The News at Ten presenter on his own depression and TV news.

Huw Edwards

Huw Edwards on depression: I'm not embarrassed

The News at Ten presenter on his own depression and TV news.

The mystery of the missing disability minister… solved!

Nikki and Emma meet the new Minister of State for Disabled People, Tom Pursglove.

One giant leap for disabled people?

The European Space Agency announces the world’s first ever disabled astronaut – and he’s a Brit!

What's in the Autumn Statement for disabled people?

Nikki Fox gets the lowdown on what the Autumn Statement means if you're disabled.

Elephant calf eating grass

'How does a blind girl go on safari?'

Visually impaired social media star Lucy Edwards heads to Kenya for one of nature's most extraordinary events - 'The Great Migration'.

‘How Taylor Swift helps me to tell the time’

BBC Young Reporter Rose has dyscalculia, which means she has trouble making sense of numbers.

Rose, 18, has dyscalculia

‘Numbers look like a foreign language to me’

BBC Young Reporter Rose, 18, explains how she navigates life with dyscalculia, a maths learning difficulty.

'I'm visually impaired, but cancer information wasn't accessible'

Weekly podcast about mental health, wellbeing and disabled people. Life stories and solutions with a friendly touch – for listeners around the world. Presented by Nikki Fox.

Reece shows Emma how to hit with the tennis racquet

How do blind people play tennis?

Wimbledon brings tennis to the spotlight every summer, though how does the sport work when you're blind?

Isaac Harvey taking part in Wheels and Wheelchairs

Wheels and wheelchairs team up for high speed fun

Roller skating isn’t necessarily an activity a lot of wheelchair users might expect to take part in, but Wheels and Wheelchairs is helping to change that.

Liam

Teaching a new language to help win football medals

Liam is non-verbal and communicates with his teammates using a mixture of symbols, signs and speech.

Molly and Adele

Mum struggles with disabled daughter’s energy costs

Molly was diagnosed three years ago with Batten disease and the 13-year-old now relies on specialist equipment.

Pearson family

'Life without Covid rules is much worse than we thought'

Vaccines and treatments have helped many in the UK but Isabel, 11, is among those still at risk.

Amrit

'All I want is for an employer to have faith in me'

Amrit's blind and fears she'll go through life never having worked, because no-one will take her on.

Seaneen and Mark on a BBC Ouch branded background

Mentally Interesting: Anxiety or heart attack?

When mental and physical health collide.