Jessica Stretton

Winning Paralympic gold at just 16 years old, Jessica Stretton is expected to add more to her collection ahead of Tokyo 2020.

She entered the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games as the youngest Para archer and one of the top ranked in the new women’s W1 division, and left as a two-time gold medallist.

Stretton notably took gold in her individual category to lead an all-British sweep, with Jo Firth taking silver and Vicky Jenkins completing the podium; it was only the second time in history a nation has swept the archery podium at a Paralympics.

“I was pretty nervous, I felt like I was taking a step for the youth that can be in Para sport and showing them that it can be done and it will be done,” Stretton said after her victory.

Stretton was born with cerebral palsy and began archery through a Wheelpower Junior Games camp she participated at in 2012.

She won her first international archery gold medal at 14 years old at the 2014 International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) World Junior Games in Stoke Mandeville, Great Britain.

One year later she took bronze in her category at the World Championships in Donaueschingen, Germany.