Exercise Their Rights

(I have a really rare form of Muscular Dystrophy, which means I physically look normal, but any form of exercise leaves me in excruciating pain. Most staff are aware of this, but I have a PE teacher who has the mindset of, ‘If they look normal, they are normal.’ This term consists of 1.5 hours of cross-country, and 20 minutes of yoga, which I can do neither, so I sit out.)

Teacher:“[Name], why aren’t you doing PE again today?”

Me: “Well, it’s cross-country, so I—”

Teacher: “It’s not cross-country now, it’s yoga! That’s no excuse to not do PE! You’re perfectly capable of doing that! You haven’t done PE for weeks! You know what? I think you have just got into the habit of being lazy! You are just being lazy!”

(I find this very offensive, as I cannot help not being able to exercise. I tell my parents when I get home. They ring the principal, who is furious with the teacher as his wife has a similar condition. The teacher is forced to apologize to my parents, and I never have to do PE again!)