Paris 2024 can put Para sport back in spotlight says Hannah
Check out 'Path to Paris: Paralympic Dreams' on Channel 4 catch-up to see how top National Lottery- funded stars, like Hannah, prep for the Olympics.
The two gold medals Hannah won 11 years ago made her one of the faces of the London Olympics, an event that attracted unprecedented TV coverage and record crowds. But the seven-time Paralympic champion feels the sport has not moved on from the heights it reached over a decade ago when athletes like sprinter Jonnie Peacock became household names.
She said, “Crowds of 80,000 people a day at London 2012 just haven't been seen since. That’s sad, I want it to come back. I don’t want to say London 2012 was the best Games of my life, I want to move on.
“For that to happen, we need the audiences. We need people to come and enjoy watching Para sport, which we all know they do, they just need to know when and where. We need the coverage to come back to things like the World Championships and smaller events, so the bigger events are well attended.
“There is nothing better than competing in front of a sold-out crowd. It makes the younger generation think ‘I want to do that, that looks amazing.’”
Hannah says the support for Olympic and Paralympic sport made possible by National Lottery players is “absolutely massive”. She added, “I definitely wouldn’t be a 16-time world champion without that support and that has always been the one consistent thing.
"It means that we can go out and train every day, afford the equipment and anything else we might need. It means we can give 100 percent to athletics and a lot of countries don’t have that support. We can come and train at prime times, surrounded by the best coaches and teams.”
Paralympians including Johnnie Peacock, long jumper Zak Skinner and shot put thrower Funmi Oduwaiye are among the top athletes appearing in a fly-on-the-wall documentary, 'Path to Paris: Paralympic Dreams', which was screened on Channel 4 in partnership with The National Lottery and is available now on Channel 4 catch-up.
A total of nine athletes – Olympians and Paralympians – allowed fans a behind-the-scenes view of what it takes to succeed at the very highest level of sport. Episode one, which follows four athletes dreaming of becoming Olympic champions, can also be viewed on Channel 4 catch up.
Viewers will be shown how National Lottery funding helps our Paralympians get access to the best coaches, nutritionists, physiotherapists and psychologists as well as state-of-the-art training facilities. By playing The National Lottery you also help cover travel and living expenses, allowing our sporting heroes to put their entire focus on winning a medal. When it comes to Paralympians, your ticket is their ticket to Paris.
Originally published 22nd August 2024. Updated 28th August 2024.
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