Images courtesy of ‘British Athletics / Getty Images’
“I didn’t meet another disabled person until I was 12,” reveals seven-time Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft. “It’s quite a lonely existence, thinking that you’re unique.”
Cockroft is one of Britain’s most successful Para athletes of the 21st century, but 17 years ago she had never even heard of the Paralympic Games.
“Para sport, being an athlete, being on TV, having people to look up to, all of these things were so hidden,” she recalls.
Despite “challenges” the wheelchair racer insists she still views her childhood as “fantastic” but age has brought greater awareness. It has left Cockroft pondering how “different life could have been” were there more opportunities during her formative years.
She is heartened by improvements over the last decade, but knows more can still be done.
“It’s improved 10-fold, especially since London 2012,” says Cockroft.
“We’re seeing disability a lot more, not just in sport, but disabled TV presenters, disabled models in campaigns and advertisements. Disability is definitely wider noticed and talked about which is fantastic.
“I definitely think it’s making children dream a little bit bigger, but that doesn’t mean we have to stop because we can still make it even better and we still have a long way to go.”
In addition to her seven Paralympic titles – across 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m distances – Cockroft is also a world record holder as well as World and European champion.
There is one title which she still craves, but until this year she has not had the chance to contest for it – Commonwealth Games gold.
With her T34 category wheelchair racing category included in the line-up for the first time at a Commonwealths she will finally have the opportunity to take to the track at Birmingham 2022 and complete a grand slam of major titles.
“It’s that last illusive championship medal that’s avoided me my whole career and 15 years in I finally have the chance,” says Cockroft, who will aim to race in the 100m in August.
“I’ve kept my eye on all those Games (since 2010) hoping that at some point I could enter a higher classification race (for athletes with greater impairments) but I had no luck with that.
“When they finally announced my 100m was going to be included in Birmingham I pretty much cried. I was so excited and just overwhelmed that I’d finally get the opportunity to pull on team England kit.”
The Commonwealth Games is a unique competition which not only brings together different nations and sports but it also provides an integrated programme where para and able-bodied athletes compete as part of the same team.
Cockroft describes it as an “amazing” opportunity and she hopes other competitions will follow to create “new opportunities” for para-athletes.
“It’s really important to open up the para sports to a new audience because wheelchair racing still isn’t widely known,” she says. “I hate to think there are still children sat at home thinking there’s no sport for them because they have a disability.
“Being out there, showing children and adults alike that we’re all doing the same sport, winning the same medals puts us on a completely level playing field which I just love.
“The more events we have like the Commonwealth Games then the closer the Olympics and Paralympics will come in terms of equality and seeing the medals as equal awards.”
Cockroft is also looking forward to performing in front of a packed crowd at the newly revamped 30,000 capacity Alexander Stadium. Particularly after the pandemic resulted her and other athletes competing in empty venues during the Tokyo 2020 Games.
But what of the medals? Birmingham 2022 finally revealed their innovative designs earlier this month and Cockroft, who describes them as “amazing and really beautiful” was among the first to see them.
“I held it straight away, I don’t think anyone else did but I was straight in,” she says with a giggle.
“My favourite feature was the adjustable ribbon, because as a wheelchair user we’re used to the ribbons on the medals being so long that they end up sitting in your lap and they don’t take pride of place on your chest like they do when you’re stood up.
“The fact that I’ll be able to shorten the ribbon and we don’t have to tie knots to pull it higher and then ruin the ribbon I just thought was so impressive and thoughtful.
“As soon as I saw them I knew that I wanted one I’ve held a silver medal so obviously I’d like to win the gold and this has given me that extra bit of motivation!”
Pictures courtesy of Lensi Photography