Do you feel a sense of community among people with disabilities?
Bjørk: When I became part of parasport, I realised that it’s just as much a movement and a community built around a greater purpose. It’s not just sport. It’s so much more. I don’t know if I would be an elite athlete if it weren’t for that other part of it.
Caspar: When I wrote NYE BALANCER, I thought: now we need the next generation of people with disabilities who actually want to be in the media and be cool.
I’ve tried writing books to say, “Where are you? Can’t we be a team? Can’t we make it a bit cooler to talk about disability, explore it in different ways, and build a sense of community?
I also just want to be a great poet. It’s not that I want to be the great disabled poet. I just want to be the greatest poet.
What is your relationship with fashion?
Caspar: For me, fashion has also been something I felt excluded from. It was always impossible to find jeans. I’ve been very self-conscious about my limp and have wondered whether it draws attention to it. And how can I wear shorts, and if I do, is it because I want to feel “Pride-like”? I’ve had to relate to fashion in a different way than others.
Bjørk: When I was younger, I deliberately avoided wearing t-shirts that made my “tut” visible. I wasn’t always ready to share that part of myself with the world.
What role does fashion play in your confidence?
Caspar: The first time I put on something and felt confident was when I started developing my own style and ripping holes in my jeans. Not because I was some weird punk, but because I could feel that this was something I had that others didn’t.
Bjørk: Today, I don’t think as much about how I dress, because I’ve reached a place where I truly feel at peace with my disability, and everything else. I was raised with a strong sense of will-power and confidence, and I was always told that I am beautiful just the way I am.
When I was little, my mum used to kiss my “tut”, because she wanted to keep reminding me that it’s what makes you who you are. It’s a beautiful thing, a unique thing, and it should be shown, not hidden.
