Biography
Impairment information
Origin of Impairment
Acquired
Classification
C4
Further personal information
Residence
Manchester, ENG
Occupation
Athlete
Languages
English
Higher education
Physiotherapy - Manchester Metropolitan University: England
Sport specific information
Club / Team
Sale Harriers Manchester: England
General interest
Hobbies
Baking, playing the guitar, spending time with family. (Facebook page, 11 May 2020; Instagram profile, 11 May 2020)
Injuries
A knee injury forced her to withdraw from the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, QLD, Australia. (teamengland.org, 14 Mar 2018; insidethegames.biz, 17 Mar 2018)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"People may doubt what you say, but they believe what you do." (Twitter profile, 08 May 2018)
Awards and honours
In 2018 she received the UK Sport Inspirational Performance of the Year award at the British Ethnic Diversity Sports Awards [BEDSA]. (Twitter profile, 08 May 2018; sportingequals.org.uk, 24 Mar 2018)
In 2017 she was named Sportswoman of the Year at the British Ethnic Diversity Sports Awards [BEDSA] in London, England. (activityalliance.org.uk, 19 Mar 2017)
She was named Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire [MBE] in the 2017 New Year's Honours list for services to athletics. (bbc.com, 31 Dec 2016)
She was flag bearer for Great Britain at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (theguardian.com, 18 Sep 2016)
In 2017 she was named Sportswoman of the Year at the British Ethnic Diversity Sports Awards [BEDSA] in London, England. (activityalliance.org.uk, 19 Mar 2017)
She was named Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire [MBE] in the 2017 New Year's Honours list for services to athletics. (bbc.com, 31 Dec 2016)
She was flag bearer for Great Britain at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (theguardian.com, 18 Sep 2016)
Other sports
She represented Great Britain in both athletics and track cycling at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Before her illness she was training to try and secure a place in the Great Britain skeleton programme. (SportsDeskOnline, 09 Jul 2020; bbc.com, 08 Feb 2016)
Milestones
In 2016 she became the first British Paralympian in 32 years to win gold medals in two different sports at a single edition of the Paralympic Games. She claimed gold in athletics [T38 400m] and cycling [C4-5 500m time trial] in Rio de Janeiro. (SportsDeskOnline, 03 Mar 2020; paralympic.org, 04 Oct 2019)
Ambitions
To compete at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo and the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing. (bbc.co.uk, 16 Mar 2018; paralympic.org, 04 Oct 2019)
Impairment
In May 2014 after competing in Loughborough, England, she was taken to hospital having experienced the symptoms of a stroke. It took her four months to fully recover. In September 2014 she was again taken to hospital with another suspected stroke. However, in May 2015 she was told she had been misdiagnosed and that she was showing signs of having multiple sclerosis. (talentbacker.com, 01 Jan 2015; manchestereveningnews.co.uk, 02 Oct 2014)
Other information
BODY IMAGE
In 2019 she revealed that she has had issues with her attitude towards food. "Essentially I am at a point where I just don't enjoy eating. I don't think I even remember what normal eating is. I feel like I'm more in control than a person with an eating disorder. I'd say I've got disordered eating. Whether or not that is different. There are a lot of females who have issues with body image. I think I've just gone a bit too far in the wrong direction. As much as someone else might think, 'You've got an amazing figure', in my head I still don't. It's essentially a cry for help. So I feel like that's why I am at the point of telling people as I know I'm doing stuff I shouldn't do." (telegraph.co.uk, 18 Apr 2019)
BEIJING 2022
She hopes to compete in snowboarding at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing. "I love it, absolutely love it, the challenge of pushing myself is what I live for." (paralympic.org, 04 Oct 2019)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
She has served as an athlete advocate for UK Athletics [UKA]. (bbc.co.uk, 13 Mar 2021)
In 2019 she revealed that she has had issues with her attitude towards food. "Essentially I am at a point where I just don't enjoy eating. I don't think I even remember what normal eating is. I feel like I'm more in control than a person with an eating disorder. I'd say I've got disordered eating. Whether or not that is different. There are a lot of females who have issues with body image. I think I've just gone a bit too far in the wrong direction. As much as someone else might think, 'You've got an amazing figure', in my head I still don't. It's essentially a cry for help. So I feel like that's why I am at the point of telling people as I know I'm doing stuff I shouldn't do." (telegraph.co.uk, 18 Apr 2019)
BEIJING 2022
She hopes to compete in snowboarding at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing. "I love it, absolutely love it, the challenge of pushing myself is what I live for." (paralympic.org, 04 Oct 2019)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
She has served as an athlete advocate for UK Athletics [UKA]. (bbc.co.uk, 13 Mar 2021)
Results
Unit | Date | Rank |
---|
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 100 m T37 | Final 1 | 2015-10-22 | 1 | |
Women's 100 m T37 | Heat 2 | 2015-10-22 | 1 | |
Women's 200 m T37 | Heat 2 | 2015-10-29 | 9999 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 100 m T38 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-08 | 2 | |
Women's 100 m T38 | Final Round | 2016-09-09 | 3 | |
Women's 500m Time Trial C4-5 | Final Round | 2016-09-10 | 1 | |
Women's 400 m T38 | Final Round | 2016-09-14 | 1 | |
Women's 4x100 m T35-38 | Final Round | 2016-09-15 | 2 | |
Women's Road Race C4-5 | Final Round | 2016-09-17 | 9999 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 200 m T38 | Final 1 | 2017-07-15 | 3 | |
Women's 400 m T38 | Final 1 | 2017-07-21 | 1 | |
Women's 100 m T38 | Final 1 | 2017-07-22 | 2 |