Imagine | Autumn 2023
A digital magazine from Irwin Mitchell
Imagine | Autumn 2023 A digital magazine from Irwin Mitchell
Imagine | Autumn 2023
A digital magazine from Irwin Mitchell
“Try every sport you get the opportunity to try. Never be afraid to branch out and try other things because that might be where your talent is hiding.”
Side-lined in PE
Whilst Hurricane Hannah’s accustomed to breaking records on an international stage, it might come as a surprise to learn that she wasn’t involved in sport until the age of 12.
As the only disabled child in her primary school she says, “The only place I was really treated differently was when it came to sport. Sport for me was PE sitting on the side and watching. If I was lucky, I was keeping scores for my friends.”
From an early age, experience taught Hannah that sport wasn’t for her, it wasn’t for disabled people.
The Paralympics wasn’t on TV and disabled athletes weren’t household names. Hannah says, “There just didn’t seem to be an alternative option.”
It was a support assistant at secondary school who challenged the decision to leave Hannah on the sidelines. Hannah says, when the rest of the class were doing athletics, “Aside from the fact someone had to go and pick up the discus and I could throw it further than anyone else in the class, there was no difference [between standing to throw it and sitting down].”
More inclusive PE lessons lead to Hannah being spotted and invited to the School Games, the biggest multi-sport event outside the Commonwealth Games. Representing Yorkshire and Humberside, she won silver in the seated discus. And that was the first time she saw wheelchair racing.
Trying it out not long afterwards, Hannah’s attitude to her wheelchair changed. Before then she didn’t use it at school, choosing to walk despite the pain, because it made her feel like everyone else.
On her first experience of getting in a racing chair Hannah said, “[For] the first time it was just me. It was freedom and independence. I instantly fell in love.” Whatever happened in the chair was down to her and she loved the sense of ownership and not having to ask for help.
“Try every sport you get the opportunity to try. Never be afraid to branch out and try other things because that might be where your talent is hiding.”
Side-lined in P.E.
Whilst Hurricane Hannah’s accustomed to breaking records on an international stage, it might come as a surprise to learn that she wasn’t involved in sport until the age of 12.
As the only disabled child in her primary school she says, “The only place I was really treated differently was when it came to sport. Sport for me was P.E. sitting on the side and watching. If I was lucky, I was keeping scores for my friends.”
From an early age, experience taught Hannah that sport wasn’t for her, it wasn’t for disabled people.
The Paralympics wasn’t on TV and disabled athletes weren’t household names. Hannah says, “there just didn’t seem to be an alternative option.”
It was a support assistant at secondary school who challenged the decision to leave Hannah on the side lines in P.E. Hannah says, when the rest of the class were doing athletics, “Aside from the fact someone had to go and pick up the discus and I could throw it further than anyone else in the class, there was no difference [between standing to throw it and sitting down].”
More inclusive P.E. lessons lead to Hannah being spotted and invited to the School Games, the biggest multi-sport event outside the Commonwealth Games. Representing Yorkshire and Humberside, she won silver in the seated discus. And that was the first time she saw wheelchair racing.
Trying it out not long afterwards, Hannah’s attitude to her wheelchair changed. Before then she didn’t use it at school, choosing to walk despite the pain, because it made her feel like everyone else.
On her first experience of getting in a racing chair Hannah said, “[For] the first time it was just me. It was freedom and independence. I instantly fell in love.” Whatever happened in the chair was down to her and she loved the sense of ownership and not having to ask for help.
No limits on the world stage
The rest, as they say, is history. Hannah stormed to victory in the wheelchair race at the 2008 school games. Two years later, and four weeks before sitting her A levels, she broke her first World Record in the T34 400 metres.
Hannah became double World Champion at the 2011 World Championships and made her paralympic debut at London 2012. Becoming double Paralympic Champion on the home stage made Hurricane Hannah a household name, and she received an MBE in the 2013 New Years’ Honours.
Hannah didn’t stop there. She’s now the most decorated British athlete in World Championship history, with 12 titles to her name. Representing Team England in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games saw her complete the set – gold medals at every major athletics championship.
No limits on the world stage
The rest, as they say, is history. Hannah stormed to victory in the wheelchair race at the 2008 school games. Two years later, and four weeks before sitting her A levels, she broke her first World Record in the T34 400 metres.
Hannah became double World Champion at the 2011 World Championships and made her paralympic debut at London 2012. Becoming double Paralympic Champion on the home stage made Hurricane Hannah a household name, and she received an MBE in the 2013 New Years’ Honours.
Hannah didn’t stop there. She’s now the most decorated British athlete in World Championship history, with 12 titles to her name. Representing Team England in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games saw her complete the set – gold medals at every major athletics championship.
If you’re thinking about trying a disability sport, watch how Praise got on when Hannah took her out on the track.
When Praise met Hannah
Alongside her incredible success, Hannah’s an ambassador for us at Irwin Mitchell and for disability sport in the UK. She promotes its many benefits to encourage more people to get involved.
Hannah spent a day on the track with our competition winner Praise Okelade. Under Hannah’s expert guidance, Praise was soon doing laps of an Olympic track in a racing wheelchair.
Praise suffered a C6 spinal cord injury in a road traffic collision in 2021 and is now a permanent wheelchair user. Since her accident, Praise is determined not to let her disability set the limits. She’s been on a rehabilitation journey and her passion burns as strong as ever.
When Praise met Hannah
Alongside her incredible success, Hannah’s an ambassador for us at Irwin Mitchell and for disability sport in the UK. She promotes its many benefits to encourage more people to get involved.
Hannah spent a day on the track with our competition winner Praise Okelade. Under Hannah’s expert guidance, Praise was soon doing laps of an Olympic track in a racing wheelchair.
Praise suffered a C6 spinal cord injury in a road traffic collision in 2021 and is now a permanent wheelchair user. Since her accident, Praise is determined not to let her disability set the limits. She’s been on a rehabilitation journey and her passion burns as strong as ever.
Without players, supporters and volunteers there would be no wheelchair racing or any other disability sport for thousands of people to enjoy, not just in this country but all over the world.
Hannah Cockroft
Praise asked Hannah how she got involved in disability sport and what it means to her.
Q
How did you get into wheelchair sport?
A
I actually didn’t do sport at all growing up. I found wheelchair sport when I was 12 years old. The local wheelchair basketball team came into my school and did a demo. That was the first time I ever met another disabled person. I’d had 12 years of thinking I was the only disabled person in the world. I played with the basketball team for six years after that and then I found wheelchair racing when I was 15 and that was me. I just instantly loved it, so I carried on doing it.
Q
What advice would you give to an aspiring disability athlete like me?
A
Try every sport you get the opportunity to try. I looked at wheelchair racing and thought, that’s not for me. It looks really uncomfortable. I don’t want to try that. It was my dad that got me in the chair and got me going. Imagine if I’d just walked away and gone, no I’m not going to bother. My life would be completely different. Never be afraid to branch out and try other things because that might be where your talent is hiding.
Q
What’s the best thing about being a wheelchair athlete?
A
I think it’s showing people what is possible. It’s showing people that I might be in a wheelchair, I might have a disability, but it doesn’t stop me doing what I want to do. And maybe just giving people a bit of belief that they can do it as well.
Legal support
If you’ve suffered a spinal cord injury and need advice, our colleagues are here to help.
We can also introduce you to charities and organisations who can support you.