We were told we couldn't do sport ... so we do sport
Evening Standard|August 28, 2024
Grit, dark humour and buckets of resilience - it takes more than just athleticism to compete in the Paralympic Games. Katie Strick hears the most inspiring stories from our team
Katie Strick
We were told we couldn't do sport ... so we do sport

PRINTER Jonnie Peacock thinks it's a fighting spirit, the magic ingredient it takes to become an athlete worthy of competing in the Paralympic Games. Long jumper Zak Skinner believes it's grit and determination - a resilience to pain - that gives para-athletes like him their unique mindset.

Wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft believes it's more nuanced, the concept of pain when you're a Paralympian. Yes, the training can be agony and has brought Cockroft her fair share of injuries in the 12 years since she competed in her first Games.

But the sport also offered a distraction from the pain. "I think I'd be in a lot more pain if I wasn't in the race chair every day," the seven-time Paralympic champion says ahead of the start of her fourth Games, which begin in Paris today.

Grit, a fighting spirit, whatever it is: Peacock, 31, Skinner, 25, and Cockroft, 32, clearly have buckets of the stuff-as do all the Paralympians we're set to see competing over the coming fortnight.

Sure, the Olympians we saw competing a couple of weeks ago weren't lacking in the whole resilience thing. But have you tried sprinting 800 metres in a wheelchair, or competing in a triathlon when you're missing a limb? This is the theory, at least, that Peacock, Skinner and their fellow para-athletes look to explore in Path to Paris: Paralympic Dream, a documentary now available on Channel 4, supported by The National Lottery.

Cockroft's fiancée Nathan Maguire, wheelchair racing legend Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and Paralympic newbie Funmi Oduwaiye, are among the athletes who give viewers exclusive access to their journey to this week's Paralympics.

Bu hikaye Evening Standard dergisinin August 28, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Evening Standard dergisinin August 28, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

EVENING STANDARD DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
The era of longevity is almost upon us. But can our minds really keep up?
The London Standard

The era of longevity is almost upon us. But can our minds really keep up?

A post-ageing world is just around the corner, says longevity scientist AUBREY DE GREY, and it’s going to change the way we live

time-read
4 dak  |
November 07, 2024
Hidden London
The London Standard

Hidden London

SECRET SPOTS YOU SIMPLY HAVE TO DISCOVER

time-read
4 dak  |
November 07, 2024
How Christian Louboutin fell in love with Melides in Portugal
The London Standard

How Christian Louboutin fell in love with Melides in Portugal

The wild beauty of this seaside village charmed the French fashion designer so much that he made it his home

time-read
5 dak  |
November 07, 2024
Actor Millie Bobby Brown romances in Hyde Park, feasts at Sheesh and buys thelot at Harrods
The London Standard

Actor Millie Bobby Brown romances in Hyde Park, feasts at Sheesh and buys thelot at Harrods

Interview with Actor Millie Bobby Brown

time-read
3 dak  |
November 07, 2024
How will Arteta manage without influential Edu?
The London Standard

How will Arteta manage without influential Edu?

Arsenal need smooth transition between eras just like Man City

time-read
2 dak  |
November 07, 2024
"I had no one in Manchester apart from my PlayStation"
The London Standard

"I had no one in Manchester apart from my PlayStation"

Aaron Wan-Bissaka was a young man rated among the country's most promising footballers when Manchester United came calling in the summer of 2019.

time-read
6 dak  |
November 07, 2024
The battle for the soul of Soho
The London Standard

The battle for the soul of Soho

Inside the war between London's porn baron family and the council they say is killing the vibe

time-read
4 dak  |
November 07, 2024
At the table: Sad steaks seasoned with despair
The London Standard

At the table: Sad steaks seasoned with despair

Fetch the smelling salts, you're in for a shock: A Restaurant Critic Hates a Famously Terrible Restaurant. Low-hanging fruit? Perhaps.

time-read
3 dak  |
November 07, 2024
Class portrait Nobody else writes about middle England so acutely
The London Standard

Class portrait Nobody else writes about middle England so acutely

Tessa Hadley's first novella depicts women in refreshing ways

time-read
3 dak  |
November 07, 2024
How a tiny cult radio station in Hackney took over the world
The London Standard

How a tiny cult radio station in Hackney took over the world

I think the most obscure place I've had a listener email from so far was probably a guy in the Yukon,\" laughs Flo Dill, the host of NTS Radio's flagship morning show.

time-read
4 dak  |
November 07, 2024