Previously, the Paralympic hero had 80 hours of escorting per month. The municipality evaluates the effort every year.
I've been worried about the decision every year, because I know how many people with visual impairments lose their escorting. I'm glad I've had it for so long, but I need it to live on too.
Now, the City of Gothenburg has decided that she no longer needs escorting.
When I found out that my escorting had been taken away, I became completely cold, shocked, and very sad. When I started to realize what it actually means for me, I became so sad and stressed. It changes my whole life, for the worse.
Pernheim Goodrich tells us that judo means everything to her. A lifetime of training lies behind her success. She started training judo at the age of four, which means she has spent a total of 29 years on the judo mat. The judoka has represented the Swedish national team since 2007.
"Must train to feel good in life"
Judo is so much for me. It's the training form I love, but it's also so much more. It's the social aspect around it. It's always getting to develop, work towards goals, and then achieve them. It's learning to fight and do things you didn't think were possible. It builds a lot of self-confidence and my well-being becomes much better. It's much more than just training and competing, it's bigger than that.
The judoka describes the situation with her taken away escorting as terrible.
I just took Paralympic bronze and now I have to end my athletic career, and it's not because I decided it myself, but because the City of Gothenburg decided it. It's terrible, judo is my big interest in life. I must train to feel good in life.
The City's Argument for the Withdrawn Escorting
The argument for the decision to withdraw the escorting is explained by the City as Pernheim Goodrich being too independent.
It's so terrible. The whole reason I can be so independent is thanks to my escorting. I think I have the right to decide over my own life and what I want to do with it.
Another argument as to why she wouldn't need escorting, according to the City, is that she has a white stick.
I can't ask my white stick where the weights are on the gym or what techniques the coach shows on the judo mat. The City doesn't seem to understand what their decision means, and if they do, it's even worse. This is a huge stress for me.
Pernheim Goodrich has appeal the decision.
I hope we get it right. I hope they can realize what they've taken away and how much it affects me. But I dare not believe in anything.
Operations Manager: "The Purpose is to Counteract Isolation"
Karin Hansson, Operations Manager for the authority in Gothenburg City, explains that she cannot comment on individual cases.
I don't know how they handled and assessed this individual case, and I'm prohibited from answering individual cases due to confidentiality. But generally, escorting is an effort we grant for simpler activities in the immediate area. The purpose of the effort is to counteract isolation and enable participation in social life. Therefore, one must always ask whether what the individual applies for aligns with the purpose of the effort.
Born: August 22, 1991, in Gothenburg (33 years old).
Resides: in Västra Fröunda, Gothenburg.
Sport: Judo
Number of Paralympics: 5 (2024 Paris, 2020 Tokyo, 2016 Rio de Janeiro, 2012 London, 2008 Beijing)
Top Merits: Paralympic bronze in France (2024), European Championship gold in Italy (2022), European Championship bronze in Italy (2019), European Championship bronze in the UK (2017), European Championship gold in Hungary (2013).
Escorted walking is for people with visual impairments who need support from another person, an escort, to participate in leisure activities, cultural life, and various other activities outside the home.
The effort aims to break isolation and enable participation in social life and contacts with others.
Source: Socialstyrelsen
