#PathwaytoParis | A Paralympics preview
With a week to go before the start of the Paralympic Games in Paris, let’s take a look at the University of Birmingham staff, students, alumni and affiliates who are heading to the French capital for the 2024 Summer Games – the first time the Para Games have been held in France.
Para Athletics
Law and criminology alumna and UoB Athletics Team Scholar Didi Okoh suffers from a rare medical condition called lymphedema, causing swelling in her leg due to excess fluid collecting in tissues. 2024 National long jump champion Didi will compete in the T63 100m.
16-year old athlete Maddie Down, a UoB School athlete who has cerebral palsy, will attend her debut Games with Team GB. Maddie, who has trained through alumni and staff members Dean Miller and Hannah England’s academy, will be competing in both the T38 Long Jump and the 100m.
31 August
10.08am | T38 Women’s 100m Round 1 (Maddie)
7.06pm | T38 Women’s 100m Final
5 September
9.04am | T38 Women’s Long Jump Final (Maddie)
7 September
10.27am | T63 Women’s 100m Round 1 (Didi)
8.22pm T63 Women’s 100m Final
Para Canoe
Reigning KL3 canoe sprint Paralympic champion Laura Sugar MBE will take on her third Games at Paris. Laura trained as a PE teacher at the University in 2014 and got gold at the last Games in Tokyo, so she will be looking to reclaim her title this year.
6 September
10.55am | Women’s Kayak Single 200m – KL3 Heats
8 September
9.42am | Women’s Kayak Single 200m – KL3 Semis
11.07am | Women’s Kayak Single 200m – KL3 Final A
Para Cycling
University of Birmingham Sport & Fitness Hall of Famer Lora Fachie OBE will be also looking to keep hold of her Pursuit Champion title – taking home both gold and silver at Tokyo and gold and bronze in Rio.
30 August
1.12pm | Women’s B 1000m Time Trial – Qualifiers
3.34pm | Women’s B 1000m Time Trial – Final
1 September
10.22am | Women’s B 3000m Individual Pursuit Qualifiers
1.31pm | Women’s B 3000m Individual Pursuit – Final
Para Rowing
Alumni Annie Caddick and Josh O’Brien will be attending their debut Games with the GB Para Rowing team. Annie will compete in the PR3 mixed double sculls, and Josh, who started rowing as an alternative to football following an injury, will compete as part of the PR3 mixed coxed four.
30 August
10.30am | PR3 Mixed double sculls (Annie) Heats
11.10am | PR3 Mixed cox four (Josh) Heats
31 August
10.10am | PR3 Mixed double sculls Heats
10.30am | PR3 Mixed cox four Heats
1 September
9.30am | PR3 Mixed double sculls Final B
9.50am | PR3 Mixed cox four Final B
11.10am | PR3 Mixed double sculls Final A
11.30am | PR3 Mixed cox four Final A
Para Triathlon
Joining the largest ever Para triathlon squad heading to the Games is Cardiovascular Sciences Masters alumna Megan Richter, who will compete in the PTS4 category, and Paralympic veteran Alison Peasgood. Alison will compete in her third consecutive Paralympics in the PTV1 Women’s category – and first after having her son in 2023.
1 September
9.25am | Women’s PTS4 (Megan)
2 September
9.10am | Women’s PTV1 (Alison)
Team behind the team
Penny Briscoe OBE continues her role as Para Team GB’s Chef de Mission, a position she has held since 2014 as well as being the Director of Sport for the team.
As Para GB’s most successful ever Chef de Mission, Penny has facilitated an environment in which both athletes and staff can thrive, and ensured that para-sport continues to develop nationally and internationally.
Maimee Titmuss-Morris, the University’s first Performance Lifestyle Lead, is now the Performance Lifestyle Coach for British Gymnastics and British Triathlon and is accompanying Team GB as the Staff Wellbeing Manager.
London 2012 Paralympian and T37 1500m European medallist Dean Miller will be the Endurance Coach for Team GB. Dean is an alumnus and staff member and has worked with both athletes heading to Paris.
Vicki Barker, who was Guild VP for Sport (2013-14) and Captain of the UoB Gymnastics Club during her time at the University, is off to the Paralympics working on Women’s Rugby management.
