Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey is this week's Radio Times cover star
She's Britain's most decorated Paralympian, but don't dare tell her she's brave and courageous.
When we began planning this week's issue of Radio Times for the Paralympic Games in Paris, there was one person we simply had to talk to - cover star Sarah Storey. She will be competing at her ninth Games, an amazing record that no one will be able to better. The 47-year-old tells us how she first competed as a swimmer at the Barcelona Games in 1992 and how she then decided to change disciplines to road cycling and has since become our most decorated Paralympian. It's an unbelievable achievement, but what Storey tells us - as does former Paralympian and disability rights campaigner Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and all the other people we talk to - is that the Paralympics is about sport and not disability. They are elite athletes who happen to have a disability. Paralympic GB athletes train just as hard as their Team GB colleagues, can suffer the same injuries (and several different ones) in the pursuit of excellence. None of them wants sympathy or to be called superheroes. The athletes also talk about important wider issues. As Storey says, "In day-to-day life, we add hurdles to people with disabilities, because we forget to think about them. The London Paralympics might have been inspiring, but it didn't change the fact that disabled people are still left on trains because there are no ramps, or that people leave Lime bikes lying on the pavement. All of that matters." Let's hope that when the cheering stops we start to see changes in society that will benefit all disabled people. But first the sport. This year Channel 4 has increased its usual excellent coverage and we have comprehensive, extended listings to guide you through the action every day of the Games. Don't miss a moment! The Paralympics 2024 issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Also in this week's Radio Times: 'Farm strength' and a silver racing wheelchair with pink stars inspired Sammi Kinghorn to become our fastest sprinter. After treatment for breast cancer, Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden is back. Sherwood star David Morrissey is serious about his craft - and just as earnest about having a laugh. Visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Memories of 2012 revived in another golden summer
Colin Murray is ready for some more Olympic-esque sporting glory
Paralympians race back Every so often, the heady aroma of London 2012 flirts with the nostrils, as we enjoy yet another summer that will be remembered, rehashed and reinvented for the rest of this century. After Andy Murray’s Centre Court success, it’s time to revisit the 120 medals that dangled around the necks of Britain’s Paralympians, in a Games that changed the face of disabled sport and lifted its profile higher than it has ever been before — due in no small part to Channel 4’s commitment to covering it. And they’ll turn on the cameras again for the Paralympic world championships from Lyon, as rivalries are renewed between the likes of Britain’s Jonnie Peacock and the USA’s Richard Browne in the T44 100m, with both of them in sparkling form and hopefully making the final on Tuesday. Whether it’s Hannah Cockroft, Richard Whitehead, Dan Greaves or other now familiar names, let’s hope there’s more being polished than Channel 4’s Bafta mask come the end of this tournament. Athletics: Paralympic World Championships Daily from Sat 2.15pm More4; Tue 9.45am, 3pm, Wed 11.30am, 3pm 5 Live Sp Ex; Wed 7pm 5 Live Ready, get wet, go! On the very same day that the Paralympic action starts, so do the World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona — which serves up less happy memories, but a chance for Britain’s 27-strong squad to restore some pride after Olympic disappointment and funding cuts. There’s diving and water polo this week, with the action in the pool starting on 28 July. Olympic 200m breaststroke silver medallist Michael Jamieson will spearhead the British assault. But he’ll be without the help of Liam Tancock and the like, left out because their events will not feature at Rio 2016. And it’s success in Brazil that those who pay for the swimming hats and goggles want to see. World Aquatics Championships Daily from Sunday 9am British Eurosport Feed that Ashes hunger Both of the above championships should benefit, coverage-wise, from a break from the Ashes. For those suffering withdrawal symptoms, just head to the wonderful Brian Moore’s Twitter account (@brianmoore666) to satisfy you until the Third Test at Old Trafford.
London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Victory Parade - live blog
Can't make it down to the Parade in person to celebrate with the athletes? We'll keep you up to date with reports and photos direct from the event
From 1:30pm today, around 800 of Team GB's Olympic and Paralympic athletes - ranging from Mo Farah to Jessica Ennis, Hannah Cockcroft to Jonnie Peacock - will make their way from Mansion House to The Mall in 21 open-topped floats to celebrate a combined haul of 185 medals, 63 of them gold. Tens of thousands of spectators are expected to turn out to cheer Britain's sporting heroes, including 14,000 Games volunteers. But if you can't make it to the parade in person, don't worry, we're here to keep you up to date with everything that's going on, backed up by tweets and photos from our reporter on the ground. Click here for our handy guide to how to watch the Olympic and Paralympic Athletes' Parade.
David Blunkett: Once the Paralympic euphoria has melted away, what will be its legacy?
"The commitment to attending, viewing and celebrating the endeavour displayed at the Paralympics is answer enough"
The spectacle is nearly over. Soon world attention will move elsewhere, the Olympics and Paralympics are coming to an end. But what a spectacle, what an uplift, and what surprises. Quite simply, didn’t we do well? The brilliance of the Olympic Games goes without saying. In fact, there has been so much said that it would be tedious repetition to say any more except, phew! But the Paralympics are something else. Once the euphoria has melted away, what will be their legacy? My answer is simple. People. Those who succeeded in lifting the spirits, energising the enthusiasm and inspiring the athletes of the future. But there is more. The 70,000 volunteers who helped with the Olympics and Paralympics – their talent, commitment, the benefit they gave and received from offering their time mustn’t be lost. The volunteer database can be used to ensure that people are offered such opportunities, reflecting their interests, their stage in life and where they live. We must draw down on that enduring gift. So, what of the Paralympics? Here I have to make a confession. The Paralympics was a post-war invention, a reflection of the miraculous recovery, spiritual as well as physical, of those at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. It was some years after that when I became aware that there was such a thing as the emerging Paralympics. And, yes, I was sceptical. I was worried on a number of counts. Would this appear patronising? Would it, in the minds of some, lead to ridicule? We know how cruel the world can be. I was wrong. The commitment to attending, viewing and celebrating the endeavour displayed at the Paralympics is answer enough. The millions who bought tickets. The excellence of performance and display of dedication and the message to those who still write off those with a disability because of unfamiliarity, ignorance or, dare I say it, fear. In one sense I had been reflecting my own ambivalence about sport in my school days. I enjoyed football with ball bearings in the ball and cricket played with all the dangers that those fielding in the slips normally face, but with the added danger that the batsmen couldn’t see where they were! I also had the bizarre experience of trying the high jump without being able to see the bar! And of course we had cycling. Yes, counting the pedal strokes before turning the sandpit corner, but more likely ending up head-first in the sand. A far cry from the Velodrome! I even had a crack at tennis, but was somewhat short of Andy Murray’s gold-winning performance. Channel 4 deserves credit. Not only is it putting enormous resources into the live coverage, it has also ensured that those with different challenges in life through a variety of disabilities could excel as presenters and explainers. Explainers because the Paralympics is much more complicated in terms of the weightings that have to be accorded to different forms of disability within a single competition. Additionally, the messages that go out to parents of children with some form of special need are critical. Quite simply, your youngsters may not excel at a particular sport but they can aspire to work and live on equal terms with others, to have a fulfilling life and the same hopes and aspirations as others. Employers, who may balk at the idea of interviewing someone with the kind of challenges with which they are unfamiliar, might now think twice, think three times and then invite that individual to join them. Given the near 50 per cent of disabled men and women of working age who are not gainfully employed, this must be a legacy worth seeking. Now, after all the emotion and the surge of national pride there will be something lasting from the Olympics. That lasting legacy will be in the lives of the people touched by these Games. That is something all of us can work on in the years ahead. David Blunkett is MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough
London 2012: behind the scenes for Team GB's medal-winning moments
As Britain's triumphant Olympic and Paralympic athletes prepare to take their final bow, Radio Times talks to their biggest fans - their families
First there was that memorable Saturday night when Britain’s poster girl for the 2012 Games rose to meet all the lofty expectations of her and won gold in the heptathlon. Then there was the great homecoming to Sheffield when 20,000 people filled the streets to catch a glimpse of the famous local girl. Now Jessica Ennis is preparing to meet the public again, at the athletes’ parade through London. “It’s all been overwhelming,” she says. “The support I’ve received has been immense. Never in my wildest dreams did I think, when I started out in the sport, that it would lead to this. People have been so supportive and have made me feel incredibly proud to be British. I’d love to run up to every one of them and thank them for their support and tell them how much it means to me.” She’ll have a chance to say her thank yous on Monday when she and the other famous names from the Olympics and Paralympics ride through London on open-top buses. “There are some days that are just wonderful, really special, and I know that will be one of them. A chance to meet the fans who have made it all worthwhile. I can’t wait. Andy Rutherford, father of the long jump gold medallist Greg Rutherford "I jumped up to do a fist pump and actually punched myself in the face!" “The atmosphere in the Olympic Stadium was absolutely awesome. I’ve never experienced anything like it in my life. It was so intense that on Greg’s first jump he actually ran through [the sandpit]. I think the crowd got to him, he lost a bit of focus when he was coming down the runway. “On his second attempt he jumped 8.21m. I knew that was a decent jump and, I couldn’t help myself, I jumped up to do a fist pump and actually punched myself in the face! All I can say is it’s a good job Greg got his mum’s co-ordination, not his dad’s… “When he got the gold it was an amazing feeling – a mixture of relief and being totally ecstatic at the same time. The relief came from the fact that he had been trying for so many years and, for whatever reason – either he’d had injuries or had just not been quite right within himself – it hadn’t worked out. But this time he was physically OK, and he had incredible confidence, this real self-belief. I think at the highest level of sport you’ve got to have that because when you re down on the track it’s a bit of a bearpit – everybody wants to take everyone else out. You’ve got to believe you can produce, and he did. “My wife Tracy and I ran down the steps towards the track, but Greg was going round on his lap of honour. We kept trying to catch him but we missed him about three times. Finally we sprinted along the inside of the barrier and caught up with him. I shouted to him but there was so much crowd noise and cameras going that to start with he couldn’t hear. Then eventually he heard me, came across and jumped into the crowd and we all hugged. It was a really emotional moment – in fact, thinking about it now makes me a little bit emotional... "We haven’t celebrated officially yet, simply because Greg still had to compete in the Diamond League. We’re going to have a family party in October: we’ve got family all over the country. They’ll all come down, we’ll hire a big hall and really go to town…” Adrian Trott, father of the cycling double gold medallist Laura Trott "I bought a lot of her stamps: I think I’ve got 120. They’re going on this year’s Christmas cards." “We didn’t dare dream that she would get a single gold medal, let alone two. “I’m relatively calm in the stands. Laura likes to know where we’ll be, so I had laid out our flag on the outside rail. I don’t shout until there are two laps to go, but for the team pursuit final, with two laps to go they were so close to the Americans it was game over and I was already at the front. Laura came over and I remember her taking her helmet off. I just held it up and showed it to the crowd. “We hung around the velodrome until they kicked us out, then we met Laura, and there were plenty of tears shed. The omnium was very nerve-racking. After her final race, the scoreboard seemed to take an eternity to come up with the result. My wife and I rushed to the front. Neither of us could speak. Laura had to go and do drug testing, while we retired to Westfield to drink champagne. Then we went back to GB House and Laura was met with a round of applause, which really got the emotions going. There were other athletes there and Duncan Goodhew came across to welcome her to the double-medal-winners club. “It has sunk in now. We have battled to keep it real. It still feels odd that people want to speak to us, when we haven’t done anything. We’ve kept all our tickets and flags. We’ve got the podium flowers, although one set went to her best friend, whose birthday it was on the day of the omnium. Because that was Laura’s individual gold I bought a lot of the stamps: I think I’ve got 120. They’re going on this year’s Christmas cards.” Andy Coogan, great-uncle of the six-time cycling gold medallist Chris Hoy "When Chris won, I had another cup of tea and a sing-song." “I saw Chris’s victories on TV at home in Carnoustie with my family and a nice cup of tea. I was nervous but I knew that Chris and the team had worked harder than you and I can imagine – that takes away your nerves a wee bit. When Chris won, I had another cup of tea and a sing-song, it was so nice to celebrate with my family. “The most important thing about the Olympics and Paralympics is to get old and young folk into sport, and it seems to be working. Find a sport you enjoy and work at it. Good coaching is important so that you know you’re doing it right. “Sport and training athletes have given me a lot of pleasure over the years, and keeping fit saved my life and the lives of my pals in the prison camps during the war. I admire anyone who does sport at any level.” Andy Coogan’s autobiography, Tomorrow You Die, is available now. Penny Copeland, mother of the double sculls gold medallist "I screamed for seven minutes and ended up physically rowing the race with her, rocking back and forth." “For people who are new to rowing, the fact that Katherine and Sophie Hosking did so well in the heats and semi-finals might suggest that they were on course to win. But people don’t realise that every race is different, and so much can go wrong. Other crews could be holding a bit back, so you can’t just say one crew were the fastest qualifiers and so they’ll win. “My husband, Derek, was very calm but I was the complete opposite. I screamed for seven minutes and ended up physically rowing the race with her, rocking back and forth. By the end I was completely hoarse and deaf. “When they won, I turned to my husband. We didn’t need to say anything. It was just a look. It still hasn’t sunk in properly. The past few weeks have been full-on. Sometimes you need a few quiet minutes to think about what happened. “The main thing Katherine was excited about was meeting Gary Lineker. She went off to do the drug testing, and then to London, and we went back to our hotel. My husband and I had a minor fall-out because I was online buying memorabilia and he wanted to get going to the rowing drinks! “On the BBC Katherine was presented with a big cardboard version of her commemorative stamp, and when we went to meet her later, we took it for her as she was moving into the Olympic village the next morning. When I woke up and saw the stamp leaning against the wall of my hotel room, it hit me and I just started sobbing. “The next day, on the way home, we called in at a post office to buy some of the real stamps. They asked my husband how many he wanted, and he asked how many they had. He bought their entire stock - 60 of them.” Simon Bailey, brother of the Paralympic gold medallist Sarah Storey – at swimming (Atlanta) and cycling (Beijing, London 2012) "It’s the quiet, more reflective moments when it really sinks in." “It’s a great honour to see your sister competing. It’s so exciting it’s hard to put it into words. The sense of pride is incredible. There’s the great moment after the finish line, the euphoria, but it’s the quiet, more reflective moments when it really sinks in. “After Sarah won her second medal in Beijing, the ceremony was out on a reservoir north of Beijing. You had a lovely pagoda in the middle of the lake and the flags were going up in front of this gorgeous scenery and you’re thinking, ‘Is this actually happening?’ That sort of day seems like a bit of a dream...” Jayne Ferguson, mother of the taekwondo gold medallist Jade Jones "A man turned round and took a picture of me. He said I was the happiest person he’d ever seen!" “When she got to the Excel Arena in the morning we knew she could do it, but we also knew how hard it would be. We were just willing her to do her best. She was going for gold, but any medal would have been good. We were just so proud. “The crowd was going crazy every time they heard Jade’s name on the loudspeaker. It was buzzing. “As the day wore on, we kept going through the same cycle. We were excited after she won a fight, but then nervous again about her next opponent. It was an emotional rollercoaster. “I knew when she got to the final that she’d give it her all. I didn’t think she’d lose. As the time ran out, my vision went blurry and my legs went wobbly. I was just screaming and shouting. A man turned round and took a picture of me. He said I was the happiest person he’d ever seen! “We got to see her for five minutes afterwards, before she went off for drug testing. All she could say was that she couldn’t believe it. She’d wanted to be the first British athlete to win a taekwondo gold: it was her dream. “We live in a small town, and everyone comes into the butcher’s where I work and says how proud they are of her. It still feels surreal. We’ve been in Hello! magazine, and we see her picture in the papers. I recorded the whole day on Sky+ and I’ve watched it back about 20 times. I just love seeing her little face after she won. “We haven’t seen much of her since, but we’re all going on holiday together to Ibiza for a week. We won’t be partying though, it will finally be a time to relax.”
London 2012 Paralympics: What to Watch Today, Friday 7 September
Unbeaten for 13 years, Esther Vergeer has another chance to win gold in today's medal match. Also in action is wheelchair racer Shelly Woods and British medal hopefuls in the Aquatics Centre
Wheelchair Tennis It must be dispiriting to go on court and face Esther Vergeer. The Dutch wheelchair tennis champion is unbeaten since 2003. In one of the most supreme winning streaks in any sport she has, incredibly, won her last 468 matches. Making the final once again means she has now been number one in the world for 13 years. I certainly wouldn’t bet against her winning gold today. David Butcher Esther Vergeer takes on fellow Dutchman Aniek Van Koot in the women's gold medal match at 12pm, C4 Para 1 Swimming Good news for ParalympicsGB in the pool, with Sascha Kindred (S6 50m butterfly), Louise Watkins and Lauren Steadman (S9 100m freestyle) and James Clegg (S12 50m freestyle) all qualifying for this evening's finals. Sascha can take his overall medal tally to 13 if he finishes on the podium this evening. James Gill Louise and Lauren race in the S9 100m at 5:37pm, Sascha Kindred goes for his 13th medal at 6.23pm and James Clegg races in the S12 50m final at 7:49pm, all on C4 Para1, with updates on C4 Athletics: Women’s T54 1500m final Shelly Woods won her heat on the way through to tonight’s final, and says she was inspired by Britain’s success so far. And well she might: ParalympicsGB has already passed their pre-Games target of 103 medals, and there’s still three days of competition left. Can Shelly Woods and compatriot Jade Jones keep the tally ticking? JG Watch Shelley Woods and Jade Jones go in the T54 1500m final at 9:08pm, C4, C4 Para 3
London 2012 Paralympics: What to Watch Today, Thursday 6 September
David "Weirwolf" Weir is aiming for his third gold of the Games tonight. And Oscar Pistorius races in the 100m against British world record holder Jonnie Peacock
Athletics: T54 800m 9:16pm, C4 The stamina of David Weir is truly astounding – having already won gold in the 5000m and the 1500m, this evening he defends his 800m crown before racing in the marathon on Sunday. The secret to his success? His gloves, according to Tanni Grey-Thompson: “Dave races on very soft gloves so you can’t hear his acceleration,” she says. “Virtually everyone else races on solid plastic gloves, so as soon as they change their speed you can hear their hands slapping against the chair. But with Dave you can’t.” Athletics: T44 100m 9.24pm C4 Tonight also sees the battle of the Blade Runners, as Oscar Pistorius attempts to fend off the challenge of British world record holder Jonnie Peacock and 2011 World Champion Jerome Singleton. Pistorius won gold in the T42-46 4 x 100m relay last night, but suffered a controversial defeat to Brazilian Alan Oliveira in the 200m – will that spur him on to beat his rivals tonight? Cycling: Women's Individual Road Race (C4-5) Updates from 2.32pm, C4 Sarah has been the Storey of the Games (see what I did there?) winning three gold cycling medals for ParalympicsGB already. The 34-year-old has a great chance for a fourth this afternoon at Brands Hatch, the venue for Paralympics road cycling, which would boast her gold medal tally to a record-equalling eleven - matching Tanni Grey-Thompson's haul.
Paralympics 2012: Jonnie Peacock on his hero and rival Oscar Pistorius
"Oscar's a hero to me. But on the track, I just want to beat him"
Jonnie Peacock is delighted to be described as Britain’s very own blade runner. The man the name was coined for remains his inspiration, even though Pistorius is one of Peacock’s fiercest rivals for a medal in the 100m. “Oscar’s a bit of a hero to me,” he declares. “I’ll always look up to him.” Peacock, 19, had his right leg amputated below the knee when he was just five years old after contracting meningitis. Doctors at Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge had feared that the rampant infection would kill him and told his mum Linda to say her goodbyes. As he slipped into a coma, she whispered to him to “keep fighting”. “That’s what I did then and I’ve tried to do ever since,” he says. He was soon climbing trees and playing football – he recalls a penalty kick where his artificial leg flew off after striking the ball. “The keeper didn’t know what to save,” he laughs. Peacock’s decision to take up sprinting came after watching Pistorius in action. Since then he has taken a massive 2.4 seconds off his personal best, culminating in a world record-breaking run of 10.85 seconds in the United States at the end of June, smashing the time (10.91) previously posted by Pistorius in their amputee class. Peacock’s belief that he can run even faster promises to make his event on 5 and 6 September one of the highlights of the Games. “I can definitely go quicker. Oscar is the 100m Paralympic champion and he won’t want to lose his crown. But if everything goes right on the day, we will see something special.” Liverpool football fan Peacock – his grandfather played for both of the big Merseyside clubs – admits that his early teenage years were difficult. “The walk home from school that should have taken me 15 minutes took an hour because my leg was so sore. So there were a few tears, with me thinking, ‘Why me?' But my mum always said that the greatest pain for me would not have been from my leg, but me not being able to join in.” Today, he won’t countenance talk of his life being somehow adversely affected by his childhood amputation. “Losing a leg was a lot to deal with, but it has made me the person I am today. If someone said to me, you can have your leg back, I don’t think that I’d take it. With all that's happened to me since, I really do feel so lucky.” See Pistorius and Peacock in the Men's 100m T44 heats tonight at 7pm on More4.
London 2012 Paralympics: What to Watch Today, Tuesday 4 September
Today's the day to try something new: explore the intriguing sport of Boccia, before cheering on regular favourites David Weir and Ellie Simmonds later this evening
Boccia Regular updates from 9am C4 It may be a sport unfamiliar to most viewers, but Boccia (pronounced bot-cha) is very easy to become hooked by. Similar to French boules, Boccia is a tactical throwing game where each player aims to land six leather balls as close to a target ball as possible. Nigel Murray is Britain’s most successful player with two golds and one silver medal; after losing in the semi-finals, today the seasoned master joins forces with rising young star David Smith in the team event bronze medal match, starting at 10:35am. Great Britain's match against Portugal starts at 10:35am. Athletics From 9.15am C4 In the stadium, David Weir will be pushing to defend his T54 1500m title but he will have to stay ahead of Paralympic marathon champion Kurt Fearnley from Australia. The Paralympics GB legend has already claimed a fantastic victory in the 5000m on Sunday night, but why stop at one when you can have four? Dorset’s Paul Blake will also be competing on the track in the T36 400m. The T36 400m final is at 20:45pm and the T54 5,000m final is at 21:49pm, both on Channel 4. Swimming From 9.30am live on C4 Para1, updates on C4 Ellie Simmonds is racing for gold yet again in the S6 50m freestyle. Heather Frederiksen is also looking to continue Paralympics GB success in the pool when she goes in the S8 100m backstroke. The S8 100m backstroke final is at 17:37pm and the S6 50m freestyle final is at 17:52pm.
Move over Hollyoaks and The Simpsons, it's time for more Paralympics on Channel 4
Broadcaster "clearing the schedules" to bring viewers more of London 2012 Paralympic Games on flagship channel
Aside from the backlash following repeated ad breaks during the Paralympic Opening Ceremony, it's been a pretty good week for Channel 4. Since competition began last Wednesday the broadcaster has enjoyed big audiences, with a peak of 3.3m tuning in to watch Team GB's Superhuman Saturday medal-winning athletes, including the 2.9m who cheered on 17-year-old swimmer Ellie Simmonds as she won gold in the 400m S6 freestyle. The broadcaster topped expectations on Saturday night as the most watched channel in the UK between 5:50pm and 6:30pm, enjoying its biggest Saturday ratings share in seven years and beating Simon Cowell's game show Red or Black? presented by Ant and Dec. As a result the network has decided to increase coverage on their flagship channel, switching popular late-afternoon shows The Simpsons, Deal or No Deal and Come Dine With Me to its sister channel More4 to make way for more Paralympics coverage. In addition, its evening showing of Hollyoaks - which has so far interrupted primetime Paralympics coverage on Channel 4 - will now be shown on E4 at its usual time of 6:30pm between September 3 and September 10, with the customary first look of the next episode following as normal at 7pm. Following the rescheduling, the channel will now show daily Paralympics coverage from 7am to 11:15pm, with just a 30-minute break for the Channel 4 News at 7pm. Jay Hunt, chief creative officer at Channel 4 said: "The coverage of the Paralympics has completely captured the public's imagination. We are clearing our schedule to bring viewers even more of this fantastic sport." Team GB's medals total now stands at an impressive 56, with 17 golds from the likes of star athletes David Weir, Ellie Simmonds, Richard Whitehead and Sarah Storey. A Locog spokesman said: "The whole of the UK has taken the Games to its heart. As soon as tickets have been released, they have been snapped up."
London 2012 Paralympics: What to watch today, Monday 3 September
Husband and wife Sascha and Nyree Kindred are both competing in the Aquatics Centre today, while 16-year-old wheelchair racer Jade Jones is in action on the track
Swimming From 9.30am live on C4 Para1, updates on C4 It’s a busy day of swimming with a host of British medal hopefuls including the golden couple of the pool Sascha and Nyree Kindred. They have a combined medal haul of over 20 golds in international competitions, and both have the opportunity to add to that tally today. Sascha will compete first in the Men’s SM6 200m individual medley before cheering on his wife as she races alongside Ellie Simmonds in the women’s heats. Ellie has already won one gold medal on Saturday in the 400m freestyle – can she double her tally today? Equestrian From 2.45pm C4 Keep an eye out for Lee Pearson this afternoon as he aims to recover from his shock defeat on Saturday by winning the Individual Freestyle test this afternoon. He can still equal Tanni Grey-Thompson's record 11 golds of he wins gold today. Athletics From 9.15am (finals from 7pm) on C4 16-year-old wheelchair racer Jade Jones has had the best possible education, having been coached by Tanni Grey-Thompson and her husband. Today she can put that training into practice as she races in the T54 400m heats. David Weir is also competing in the T54 1500m heats. Wheelchair Basketball From 11am live on C4 Para2, updates on C4 The final group match of the Wheelchair Basketball sees Team GB looking to leave the group stages on a high against Japan. A win will secure their place in the quarter finals.
London 2012 Paralympics: What to watch today, Sunday 2 September
Stefanie Reid jumps for gold in the stadium, Butterworth, Kenny and Waddon round off the final day of track cycling, and it's medal time in the table tennis
Athletics From 9.15am C4 At the Beijing Paralympics Stefanie Reid competed in Canadian colours and won a bronze medal. These days she has seen sense (her parents were British) and is looking to go better on her adopted home turf with ParalympicsGB. Often described as a sprinter, Reid is also a top-class long-jumper and goes in that event today, having raced yesterday in the T44 100m. Also aiming to get in the winning habit today will be Shelley Woods in the T54 5000m final, while Beijing silver medallist Ben Rushgrove aims to go one better in the T36 100m. He’ll have to beat his teammate (and world record holder) Graeme Ballard first. David Butcher Cycling Mixed sprint finals from 3.25pm on C4 ParalympicsGB’s first medals of the Games came in the Velodrome, and on this, the final day of track cycling competition, there’s a chance for at least one more in the mixed team sprint. Jon-Allan Butterworth, Darren Kenny and Rik Waddon make a formidable trio, but can they round off another successful British cycling performance with the gold? James Gill Table Tennis Medal match updates all day on C4 We may have missed out on winning ‘Wiff Waff’ gold in the Olympics, but in the Paralympics we have a real table tennis star in the making. Will Bayley is the top-ranked player in class 7, so fingers crossed he features in the 5.15pm finals. JG Football 5-a-side GB v Argentina begins 3.30pm on C4 Para 3 Argentina; England football’s perennial stumbling block. Maybe Dave Clarke and his British side will have better luck when they face them in this afternoon’s five-a-side group stage match. JG
London 2012 Paralympics: What to watch today, Saturday 1 September
Oscar Pistorius runs in the Paralympics for the first time today, Ellie Simmonds is in action in the Aquatics Centre, and Lee Pearson begins his trot to triple gold glory
Athletics From 9.15am on C4 The most famous Paralympian of them all takes to the London track today. The sponsorships, the adverts, the adulation, they all mean nothing if Oscar Pistorius can’t deliver where it counts, starting with this morning’s T44 200m heats. As for British hopes, the remarkable Richard Whitehead will go in the T42 200m. Whitehead may be the best person to judge whether life is in fact a marathon or a sprint: he holds the world record for the T42 Marathon but made a radical switch to the 200m and now holds the record in that too. David Butcher Swimming From 9.30am live on C4 Para1, updates on C4 Ellie Simmonds defends the first of the two titles she won in Beijing as she competes in the S6 400m, but she will have to fend off fellow Brit Natalie Jones and world record holder Victoria Arlen, who won her appeal against the recent decision to reclassify her. James Gill Wheelchair Tennis From 11am on C4 Peter Norfolk, affectionately known as “the Quadfather”, is a quadriplegic tennis player who took gold in Athens and Beijing. He was also the flag bearer for ParalympicsGB in the opening ceremony. Can the 51-year-old win three Paralympics in a row? The first rounds of the wheelchair tennis start today. JG Equestrian From 2.45pm on C4 Lee Pearson continues his quest to win three gold medals as he competes in the individual 1b test this afternoon. William Hill is offering odds of 1-4 that he wins all three, but Austrian Pepo Puch is a challenging rival. JG
Tanni Grey-Thompson’s guide to Team GB’s superhumans
Britain's most successful Paralympian reveals the hidden tactics and secrets to success behind some of the Brits going for gold in these Games
You’re commentating for BBC Radio 5 Live during the Paralympics. Are you worried about having to explain all the classifications to listeners? The first thing to say is that if you don’t know what each classification is, don’t worry about it! All you need to know is that each classification is based on how an athlete’s impairment affects their ability to do that sport. Basically, 11-13 means blind or visually impaired; 20 is for learning disabilities; anyone in the 30s has cerebral palsy; 40s are amputees; and 50s are wheelchair users. But you don’t really need to know all the numbers: just know that an athlete competes against someone with similar attributes – a bit like boxing. Some athletes, like wheelchair racers David Weir and Shelly Woods, seem to be competing in loads of events. How do they manage it? It’s hard training, but actually wheelchair racing is a lot like cycling where you have athletes competing in a number of events. You wouldn’t get a runner training for the 100m, 200m and 400m, for example, but in wheelchair racing that’s really common. David Weir is one of our great medal hopefuls. He competes in the T54 800m, 1500m, 5000m and the marathon – is he ready for all that? He was the only gold medallist from Beijing in athletics; that puts huge pressure on him. But he’s been really smart, he’s not over-raced, he’s just done the races he’s had to do. And he can win four golds. What’s his secret? Dave is strong, he’s smart, and he can read a race. The interesting thing is that he races on very soft gloves so you can’t hear his acceleration. Virtually everyone else races on solid plastic gloves, so as soon as they change their speed you can hear their hands slapping against the chair. But with Dave you can’t. So he’s the silent assassin? That sounds good. Even if people are watching him closely, they don’t notice his acceleration until it’s too late. It’s such a pleasure to watch him race, because you can’t predict him. You and your husband coach another wheelchair racer, 16-year-old Jade Jones. Is she ready to compete in front of a home crowd? We’ve tried to prepare her in lots of different ways. When I went to a day at the Olympics I rang her from the stadium and told her, “This is how loud the crowd will be for you.” To be honest, Jade is 16 going on 30! She is very quiet, but she’s got an amazing sense of humour and she absorbs everything. And this year she’s come on so fast: she’s number four in the world over 400m, which is incredible for a 16-year-old. Away from the stadium, what are you looking forward to watching? Wheelchair rugby is brilliant. I think people will be amazed at how violent it is. When it first started it was called Murderball, which I thought was quite appropriate. I love rugby; it’s amazing to play. I tried it myself, but it was when I was competing so the guys were very careful not to smash up my hands. They were always a bit more gentle with me! Equestrian star Lee Pearson could overtake your record of eleven gold medals during these Paralympics. Will you be secretly hoping he doesn’t make it? These titles of most successful Olympian or Paralympian are a bit weird – my dream as a Paralympic athlete was just to win as many medals as I could, not to be “Britain’s most successful” at anything. Lee always leads me astray: he’s very cheeky and gets me into trouble, but he’s lovely. I’m quite serious and straight-laced and he’s definitely not, so we sort of work well together. I really like Lee, so if someone is going to take my recordof being the most successful British Paralympian, I’d want it to be someone I like. Is that really horrible? Your secret’s safe with us, Tanni.
London 2012 Paralympics: What to watch today, Friday 31 August
Wheelchair racing legend David Weir goes for the first of four medals in the stadium. Plus Tom Aggar races in the men's single sculls and the five-a-side football kicks off
Athletics from 9.15am C4, 6.25pm More4 The track and field programme gets under way in the Olympic Stadium today, with several of GB’s best-known Paralympians in action, including David Weir, who won GB’s only two athletics golds in Beijing. Weir is perhaps the world’s top all-round wheelchair racer and this afternoon begins the defence of his title in the blue riband event, the T54 1500 metres. Another wheelchair athlete to watch is 20-year-old Hannah Cockroft, reigning world champion in the T34 100m and looking for her first gold medal at 8.15pm. Plus, Blackpool’s Shelly Woods opens her account in the T54 5000m heats hoping to put memories of Beijing behind her: Woods came second in 2008 but the home straight of the final saw an ugly pile-up that meant the whole race had to be re-staged, and second time round she slipped to bronze. David Butcher Rowing: Men's single sculls From 9.15am C4 Tom Aggar, a 28-year-old from London, must be an intimidating opponent for the other rowers at Eton Dorney: his evident upper-body strength is one thing but his competition record is an imposing one. Since taking up the sport after an accident in 2005 broke his spine and ended his promising rugby career, Aggar has proved unbeatable at solo, arms-only sculling, picking up gold at Beijing, several world championship titles and numerous records. He is the heavy favourite here but insists that the competition has grown much stronger since rowing made its Paralympics debut four years ago. Jack Seale Swimming From 9.15am C4, 6.25pm More4 If you thought the Brownlee brothers in the Olympics triathlon was a great sibling success story, just wait until you see swimmers Sam and Oliver Hynd, two brothers competing in the morning heats of the S8 400m Freestyle. Sam (21) and Oliver (17), who both have a form of muscular dystrophy, came first and second in the Paralympic European Championships last year. If all goes well in the heats, they will compete for family bragging rights once again in this evening’s final. Other British hopefuls in the pool today include first-time Paralympian Ben Proctor and European Champion Heather Frederiksen, who is hoping to add to her Backstroke gold in Beijing by claiming victory in the S8 400m Freestyle. James Gill Football: Men's Five-a-side From 3.25pm More4 The British Football 5-a-side team play their first game at the Riverbank Arena in the Olympic Park this afternoon, a must-win encounter against fellow medal-contenders Spain. Four players with visual impairments make up the outfield, wearing blindfolds to ensure fairness. The goalkeeper is allowed to be sighted, and teams also use a guide behind the opposition’s goal to shout instructions. The ball contains metal bearings so players can hear where it is. Team GB legend and captain David Clarke is the one to watch, having scored an outstanding 126 goals in 139 international appearances. With 5 silver medals to his name from World and European Championships, the 41-year-old is desperate to finally taste gold in front of a home crowd. JG
Tanni Grey-Thompson: what to watch at the Paralympics
The eleven-time Paralympic gold medallist picks her six unmissable sports and the athletes set to shine over the London 2012 competition
Athletics I may be biased given that it was my sport, but the wheelchair racing is going to be very exciting. In particular, watch out for the 800m and 1500m races. These are very tactical, with competitors using their 6ft long chairs to try and slipstream each other, much like cyclists do. So it’s cat and mouse and calls for stamina as well as tactical thinking. Team GB's David Weir will be competing in both (from Wed 5 and Mon 3 Sep respectively), defending the Olympic titles he won in 2008 in Beijing. He’s the current world number one and world record holder, so if Dave performs as we all hope, expect the crowd to offer an ecstatic reception of Mo Farah proportions on the home straight. Also look out for wheelchair racer Shelly Woods who will be competing at four distances this year - the 800m, 1500m, 5,000m and the marathon - which makes for a really tough week, but I'm sure she'll be ready. Shelly is the world record holder in the 1500m and has made huge leaps in the past couple of years. She's still a young girl at 26 and women's racing is going through a really strong patch, but she's got the ability and potential to win. We all need to pray for rain - if it's cold, miserable and wet, Shelly really comes into her own! I think the 100m, with British sprinter Jonnie Peacock and the South African Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius, is going to be one of the best, most competitive races of the Paralympics. It's Oscar's toughest race, because he's stronger over 200m. Jonnie broke the world record in his last competition before selection, so he's in great shape. There's also an American athlete called Jerome Singleton who beat Oscar at last year's world championships - he's really sweet, and always calls me "ma'am" when I see him." The men's T54 800m final is on Thursday 6 September at 9:07pm. The women's T54 1500m final takes place on Friday 7 September at 8:41pm. The men's T44 100m final is on Thursday at 9:16pm. Equestrian Until recently riders had to draw lots for the horse they rode in competition, but now they are allowed to ride their own horse, which is great for the sport because it’s taken the element of chance out of it. At these Games, men and women compete against each other in individual championship and freestyle tests across five classifications as well as a team test. Team GB has won the team event at every Games since 1996, so Greenwich Park is the venue to keep an eye on for GB gold! Lee Pearson, at 40 has a great chance for three gold medals during these Games. That will give him 12 golds overall - more than me! Equestrian events begin at Greenwich on Thursday 30 August Track Cycling The good news is Team GB’s Paralympic cyclists are as dominant across the board as our Olympic cycling team are! My favourite event is tandem racing, where a visually impaired athlete rides on the back of a tandem with a sighted pilot in front. It’s a brilliant and exhilarating spectacle. Our paralympic cyclists include two former swimmers in Sarah Storey, OBE and Jody Cundy, MBE, who have joined the select group who have become a Paralympic champion in two different sports. Sarah Storey takes to the track from Thursday 30 August and Jody Cundy from Friday 31 August. Sitting Volleyball A really technical game but some of the skills on view will leave you open-mouthed. The only thing you need to remember is that a part of the player’s body between the buttocks and shoulders must be in contact with the court when attempting to play the ball. I rate our women’s team as having a slightly better chance than our men. Look out for Martine Wright, who will be in our women’s team. Hers is an extraordinary story of resilience, dedication and determination and sums up the spirit of the Paralympics. The women's sitting volleyball semi-finals take place on Wednesday 5 September Swimming We forget that Ellie Simmonds is still only 17. The Team GB swimming sensation from Beijing is competing in four events (the 50m, 100m, 400m freestyle and 200m individual medley), which will be a challenge, but they wouldn't have entered her unless they thought she could win all four. Personally, I think she could wow us all again. It's also worth watching Sam Hynd and his younger brother Ollie go head to head in the 200m individual medley. I think it must be amazing, and a nightmare at the same time, to be swimming against your brother - it could be the Brownlee brothers take two! Ellie swims in the S6 400m freestyle heats on Saturday from 10:13am. The men's SM8 200m IM heats are on Wednesday at 9:30am. Wheelchair fencing Team GB's youngest Paralympic athlete is fencer Gabi Down, who only turned 14 in May. In fencing, where you tend to peak when you're a bit older, that's unusual. But when you're young, you have no fear and just take it all in your stride. Gabi competes for the women's fencing team on Friday 7 September at 11am. Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is reporting on the Paralympics for Radio 5 Live.
Paralympics 2012 - Georgie Bingham: you've never seen sport like this before
The Channel 4 and talkSPORT presenter talks about swatting up on Boccia and being bowled over by blind football
Georgie, covering the Paralympics is something quite new for you. Are you excited? Well, to be honest before I was really envious of all the BBC staff doing the Olympics! But now I’m really excited that I’m at the forefront of something that has never really been done before on this scale. If anywhere is going to embrace the Paralympics it’s going to be Great Britain, the place where it all began. I’ve done some pretty cool stuff in my career, but if you can do something that’s a first, that’s always nice. It must have been a steep learning curve for you. How did you cope with learning about all these different sports? I was aware of quite a lot of Paralympic sport, but most of us have never been given the opportunity to cover it properly before. Having known for a long time that I was going to be involved, I’ve managed to get myself to events where I can actually see first hand some of the sports I may not have seen before. There are couple of Paralympic specific sports like Boccia and Goalball that I’d never even heard of until about a year ago, so I’ve had to learn them, but quite a few sports are similar to able-bodied sports, so that wasn’t a challenge. It’s all been quite fun really. What events do think will make people sit up and go ‘wow’? Everyone is looking forward to the wheelchair rugby because it’s absolutely vicious. It’s the only sport I think you have a welder as part of your team setup. Personally I’m also looking forward to the football. I work on talkSPORT on the Premier League, and the Paralympic adaptations of five-a-side blind football is remarkable – I mean the skills those guys have are just bonkers! We’ve had David Beckham and other Premier League footballers going to blind football workshops; when you put a blindfold on those kinds of players you realise how unbelievable our blind football team really is. Did you get to see Becks pulling on the blindfold? No, I didn’t sadly, but I did watch the video repeatedly! The thing about Beckham is that he’s one of these people who will just take to anything. He’s a footballer after all and he’s very competitive. View oEmbed on the source website Are you worried people have reached Olympics overload? I think I’m the only woman I know who could happily watch sport all the time, so I’m not the sort of person to ask about sport overload! Ah, so do you still get people who think the idea of a female sports journalist is odd? I don’t feel like it’s my right to work in sport; just like any man who didn’t know their sport, I wouldn’t expect to be in the industry if I wasn’t good enough. Sport is a male-dominated industry. talkSPORT may have quite a blokey lineup, but there are a huge amount of women that work there, too. I don’t feel like I’m the only girl in sport; we just feel like we’re part of the team. But working for talkSPORT after Andy Gray and Richard Keys turned up must have been odd? I get asked about work for the same station as Richard and Andy all the time, and I will always say this: Richard and Andy made a mistake. We send people to prison for criminal offences and rehabilitate them, and I think it’s time that people just dropped the whole Keys/Gray thing too. You know, the guys won a Sony award last month because they are absolutely brilliant broadcasters. What’s going to be different about Channel 4’s coverage compared to the BBC? It’s going to have a totally different feel. I think Channel 4 is the perfect home for the Paralympics. Channel 4 can be very alternative, not afraid to stick its neck out. Some of its programming – not the Paralympics – but some of its programming can be pretty controversial sometimes. If any network is really well placed to deal with disability head on instead of cotton wool wrapping it, then it’s Channel 4.
London 2012 Paralympics: What to watch today, Thursday 30 August
Catch all the key action from the first day of the Paralympics, including Team GB in wheelchair basketball and cyclist Sarah Storey lining up in the Velodrome
At last the action starts today. For those still pining away after losing their daily diet of Olympic drama, the next 12 days should more than fill the gap. But where do you start? RadioTimes.com will take you by the hand and offer daily guides to what to watch when. On your marks, get set, go (again)! Wheelchair Basketball From 1pm, C4 GB Women’s Wheelchair Basketball team open the action with their first preliminary match against the Netherlands. Later the 2008 bronze medal-winning GB men’s team, featuring London-bred star Ade Orogbemi, commence their campaign in the Basketball Centre against perennial rivals Germany. Wheelchair basketball keeps many of the rules of basketball, with two teams of five players, a standard sized court and a 10-foot high hoop. Dribbling, passing and moving at speed require exceptional hand coordination – players must bounce the ball after every two pushes of the wheels. See if you can spot how the defending team anticipates where the attacking dribbler will go: the secret is to watch the hand position on the wheels and the direction of the footplates. James Gill Cycling From 9.15am and 1pm, C4, then 3.25pm, More4 After the nation fell in love with our roaring Olympic cyclists, it’s the turn of GB’s para-cyclists to dish up drama in the velodrome. A key member of the squad rolling into action today is Sarah Storey, one of the very few athletes of any kind to have won gold medals in entirely separate sports – first in swimming, then in cycling. She won swimming golds at the 1992 Paralympics in Barcelona (aged just 14) then three more at Atlanta. After switching to cycling in 2005 she won two more golds at Beijing and will be looking for her eighth overall in tonight’s individual C5 pursuit. Meanwhile, teammate Darren Kenny will be defending his C3 1km Time Trial title alongside Beijing silver medalist Rik Waddon. David Butcher Archery and Shooting From 9.15am, C4 When the archery contest opens at the Royal Artillery Barracks today it carries on a proud Paralympic tradition. At the forerunner of today’s Games, first held at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in 1948, archery was the main event and it has remained central to the games. Rules and procedures are virtually identical to those in able-bodied competition and athletes can cross codes: at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, for instance, Danielle Brown was the first Paralympian picked to represent England's able-bodied team. Brown opens the defence of her Paralympic title today in the women’s Individual Compound ranking round. Competing in the shooting at the same venue will be GB’s most experienced Paralympian, Di Coates, who makes an appearance in the air rifle competition for, incredibly, her eighth Games running. DB Best of the rest Equestrian Lee Pearson is one of those competitors who dominate their sport. The dressage specialist has nine Paralympic titles, with an extraordinary record of collecting gold in every event he has competed in over three Games. Pearson rides in the early rounds of the B1 team event from 2pm. But the Games’ first medal for GB could come in the under-60kg Judo, where world champion Ben Quilter aims to improve on his fifth place in Beijing. What do you mean you’ve never watched blind judo before? Now’s the time to start. DB
From a victim of the 7/7 bombings to a blind five-a-side footballer, here's the stories of the Paralympic athletes going for gold
Channel 4's Meet The Superhumans advert offers just a glimpse of the injuries and adversities that this year's London 2012 Paralympic athletes have had to overcome to reach the starting line of their chosen sports. Behind every athlete hoping to shine at the Games is a story of passion and courage - here are ten to watch out for: Name: Martine Wright Age: 39 Sport: Sitting Volleyball I remember 6 July 2005 so well. Everyone at my work watched the TV to hear the news; London had got the Olympic Games. We drank champagne. I wondered how I could get tickets. The following morning I was reading all about it on the Tube and then the bomb went off. I lost both my legs and spent eight months learning to walk again. And soon realised all my priorities had changed. I went back to my high-flying job but it didn’t seem right. I had my son, Oscar, in 2009 and knew I wanted to do something that would replace that drive and ambition I had in the workplace. In 2009 I went to a Paralympic Potential Day for amputees, tried volleyball and fell in love. We’re all out of our chairs, which is so liberating, and the competition is fierce. It’s a great event. The Games are going to be emotional. To be doing this in my city is so strange. I think maybe fate got me on that Tube and that maybe I was always supposed to go on this journey that finds me now as a proud Paralympian. Sitting volleyball semi-finals, Wednesday 5 September Name: Jody Cundy, MBE Age: 33 Sport: Cycling C4 I was born with a deformed right foot, which was amputated when I was three. I never shirked getting involved. Aged five, I went for my first swimming lesson and was saved from the bottom of the pool by one of the parents. That mishap didn’t put me off, though, and I went on to win three gold medals in the pool for Great Britain at three Paralympics between 1996 and 2004. A year after the 2004 Games I discovered the bike and haven’t looked back. I love the track. The Olympic Games, and specifically what has happened at the Velodrome, have been incredible – a nice little warm-up to our event, but definitely an inspiration for us to match them. Yes, I have been successful in the past but my gold medals are all in a box somewhere. I don’t think that my having them gives me a right to any more. This is like a first Games because none of us have experienced a home Games before. Individual C4-5 1km time trial, Friday 31 August. Cundy also competes in the individual pursuit and team sprint. Name: Steve Brown Age: 31 Sport: Wheelchair Rugby I am so proud to be the captain of the Team GB wheelchair rugby team. It is they who inspired me when I injured myself and so to have come full circle and now be able to lead them in a Paralympics is incredible. In 2005 I was working abroad for a holiday company in Germany. I fell from a balcony, broke my neck, spent three weeks in intensive care over there before being moved to a hospital in Stoke Mandeville where I began my rehabilitation. I was always sporty, but those months after my injury, when I was dealing with the fact I wouldn’t walk again, were tough and I’ll admit that I was scared. Scared of trying new things, especially wheelchair rugby, or murderball as it was known. That fear soon disappeared, though. The sport appealed to my competitive side. In hospital things were easy, everyone wanted to help, do things for me. I grew tired of that and rugby was my escape. I soon realised that I had to concentrate on the third of the body I can move and not the two-thirds I can’t and now, here I am. Mixed wheelchair rugby, Wednesday 5 September Name: Jade Jones Age: 16 Sport: Athletics (400m, 800m, 1500m T54) I was born without my femur [thigh bone] but it’s a situation you deal with and move on from. I was very young when Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, who’s now my coach, came to my school sports day and suggested I try a racing chair. I love competing. I broke the British record for 400m this year and when records are falling, you know things are going OK. You can’t put into words just how exciting the Paralympics is. I have had my schoolwork to distract me but that is all done for now and I am raring to go. 400m T54 first round, Monday 3 September Name: Dave Clarke Age: 41 Sport: Five-a-Side Football My eyesight deteriorated from an early age because of congenital glaucoma and I was fully blind as a child. Thanks to my parents, I was independent and, like most young guys, wanted to try sport. I was searching for something, and while I knew football was my best event there wasn’t the opportunity to do it. Gradually that has changed and it’s now unbelievably professional. In blind football each team has a guide on the touchline and within the ball there’s a device we can hear. To have competed at an elite level has lifted my whole life. Thanks to football I’ve travelled the world and enjoyed sporting success – it’s changed my life. Hopefully the parents of a blind five-year-old kid will realise that like any other children, theirs can join in and excel at it. GB v Spain, Friday 31 August Name: Richard Whitehead Age: 36 Sport: Athletics (100m, 200m T42) Born without both my lower legs, I remember watching a film called The Terry Fox Story in the late 1980s. Terry had lost a leg because of cancer and ran across Canada, doing a marathon a day. Watching that, I knew that one day I’d take up the challenge and do something similar. That’s why I started out as a marathon runner but I now do sprinting. I’m very driven. I surround myself with very dynamic people, but to me success isn’t just about a gold medal, it’s about inspiring others and the legacy that you leave behind. I want to put on a show that will excite the paying public in the stadium. I want to show young people with difficulties that anything is possible. I am so pumped for this. My nickname is “Monster”, which says it all. I’m a Nottingham lad, very patriotic and the British lion means everything to me. Plenty say I am favourite for the gold and that might be right, but it won’t distract me. I still have to deliver on the day and that is what it is all about. 200m T42 first round, Saturday 1 September Name: Stephanie Reid Age: 27 Sport: Athletics (100m, 200m T44/Long Jump F44) I was 16 when I lost my right foot in an engine propeller in a boating accident in 2000. In an instant I felt as if life as I knew it had ended for good. I went through a very difficult stage in which I was angry with everyone. But then a nurse at the hospital spoke to me firmly and honestly and said that I had to build a new life for myself. While studying at Queen’s University, Ontario, I watched a track and field practice and decided to join them. I had to learn everything from scratch, including how to use running prosthesis. It took a long time to adapt, but by the time I was in my fourth year, I was competing for the varsity team. Then I made it into the Canada squad and won bronze in the 200m in Beijing. My mum is originally from Darlington and my dad from Glasgow, and in 2009 I decided to change allegiance to Team GB. My mum asked me, “Can you wear the British uniform with pride when you walk into that stadium in 2012?” and I can; I’m really proud of my heritage and it’s an honour to represent Great Britain. 100m T44 first round, Saturday 1 September Name: Mark Colbourne Age: 42 Sport: Cycling C1 I was paragliding near the Gower Peninsula in 2009. I flew into a cross wind, and the canopy collapsed. When I hit the floor, the canopy re-inflated and dragged me 70m. I’d broken my back. I learnt to walk again though I still have lower leg paralysis. But my quads still work and that’s why I can excel on a bike. After the accident, I didn’t want normality and was encouraged to cycle. I started with stabilisers but two weeks later, off they came and I was away. My father died in February and I will think about him and my family before the race but during the time I’m racing, it’s all about business. C1-2-3 1km time trial, Thursday 30 August. Colbourne also competes in the individual pursuit (track) and time trial (road) Name: Hannah Cockroft Age: 20 Sport: Athletics (100m, 200m t34) I was born with brain damage. Because I don’t display the obvious symptoms, there have been times when I got some abuse, but I didn’t let it get me down, and it’s stopped. I have broken world records this year and so people expect me to win gold but I am only 20, and have only been racing for four years. If I do win gold, I’m hoping my favourite band McFly will take me on holiday. Please! 100m T34 first round, Friday 31 August Name: Ellie Simmonds, MBE Age: 17 Sport: Swimming (50m, 100m, 400m freestyle S6, 200m indiv medley SM6) I was born with achondroplasia (dwarfism), but I’ve always been focused and determined. Once I set my mind to something, there was always a chance I’d do well at it. I started swimming when I was five at a club in Walsall. I competed against able-bodied swimmers when I started racing at eight, and never felt as if I was different. I’m just a normal person, but a bit smaller. My swimming career really took off when I was ten and talent-spotted by UK Sport. I moved from the Midlands to Swansea the following year with my mum, to be nearer to a 50m pool and to be coached by Billy Pye. Every weekend we go back to Birmingham after training to spend time with my dad and to see my three sisters and brother. People think it’s been a huge sacrifice, but look at what I’ve achieved, including the 100m and 400m freestyle golds at the Paralympic Games in Beijing. This time I’m a bit older and more experienced and I’m sure I’ll enjoy it much more. 400m freestyle S6 heats, Saturday 1 September.
Channel 4 to offer three dedicated Paralympic Games channels
The live action will be available online and to Sky, Virgin Media, Freesat and Freeview HD customers
How will Channel 4 follow the BBC’s record-breaking coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Games? You’re about to find out… The Paralympics broadcaster has announced details of three Paralympics Extra channels showing live action between August 30 and September 9 for Sky, Freesat, Virgin Media and Freeview HD customers. Sky customers will have access to video feeds through the Red Button as well as channels 450, 451 and 452 on the electronic programme guide while Freesat’s extra channels can be found at 150, 151 and 152. Both sets of high definition users will receive HD versions. Virgin Media will offer the extra channels at 550, 551 and 552 in HD and standard definition at 553, 554 and 555. Freeview HD customers won’t have extra channels, but they will get one additional video feed by pressing the Red Button while watching Channel 4 HD. As with the BBC, the Paralympics Extra channels will also be available online, alongside a dedicated Paralympic section of the channel’s website featuring live text commentary, news, results and medal tables. Channel 4 has also announced plans to launch Paralympic apps for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, offering news of the latest Paralympic action. More than 400 hours of live coverage will be broadcast in total, in a schedule dominated by the Games. The Paralympic Games Breakfast show, fronted by Rick Edwards and Kelly Cates, will air on Channel 4 from 7am, with a 45-minute highlights show from 10:30am. In addition to the live feeds, coverage will switch to More4 when not shown on the main channel. Presenting duties will be shared between Channel 4 news anchor, Jon Snow, who will front the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Jonathan Edwards who will co-host the mid-morning show with Daraine Mulvihill, and Clare Balding and former Paralympian Ade Adepitan who will present the daily peak time show. Georgie Bingham will also be presenting alongside wheelchair racer Arthur Williams - a product of Channel 4's national talent search for disabled Paralympic presenters. The move will hope to emulate the huge success of the BBC’s 24 live channels streaming action from every single Olympic sport. The broadcaster attracted more than 100,000 viewers to each of its streams in addition to the record-breaking viewing figures for BBC1, BBC3 and BBC HD. Following the announcement of its Paralympic coverage, Channel 4 said, “After years of working and waiting, countless months of heady anticipation, weeks of building excitement, and a not-too-shabby test event, the Paralympics have finally arrived. “For 12 days, viewers of Channel 4 will witness unfettered sporting brilliance, courage, talent, triumph and tragedy, as dreams are made and broken in the cauldron of top class competitive sport.” Start your own Paralympics preparation with Channel 4's Meet The Superhumans trailer... View oEmbed on the source website
Clare Balding and Ade Adepitan to front Channel 4 Paralympics coverage
Broadcaster promises "all day everyday" coverage for the biggest TV event in its 30-year history
Sports broadcaster Clare Balding and TV presenter and former Paralympic basketball medallist Ade Adepitan will host Channel 4's coverage of the London Paralympic games in August and September. The schedule will be cleared for a full eleven days to make room for 150 hours' worth of coverage; this amounting to the biggest broadcasting event in Channel 4's 30-year history. It will also be the most time ever dedicated to the Paralympics on British television in the history of the games. Balding and Adepitan will host peak-time coverage and will be joined by disabled Australian comedian Adam Hills who presented ABC's live coverage of the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing. T4 presenter Rick Edwards (who hosted four series of That Paralympic Show on Channel 4) and Olympic triple-jump legend Jonathan Edwards will provide comment and analysis throughout the games. Channel 4 News anchor Jon Snow will front coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies. As Channel 4 promised when they bid for the broadcast rights, fifty per cent of the presenting team will be disabled. Irish presenter Daráine Mulvihill and former Royal Marine Arthur Williams will also perform studio anchoring duties and are amongst seven new faces to come out of the broadcaster's star search for disabled talent in 2010. They'll be joined by former Paralympic swimmer Rachael Latham, sports reporter and wheelchair basketball player Jordan Jarrett-Bryan, former carpenter Martin Dougan, researcher Liam Holt and sports journalist Alex Brooker. A number of renowned athletes will also take part in the "all day everyday" coverage on Channel 4, including runners Iwan Thomas and Danny Crates, and swimmer Giles Long. Special breakfast and tea-time shows will provide highlights of the coverage that is being produced by Sunset & Vine and IMG Sports Media. In addition, a new dedicated website will provide in-depth analysis and highlights throughout the Paralympics. Jay Hunt, Chief Creative Officer at Channel 4, said: "Being the broadcaster of the London 2012 Paralympic Games is a huge privilege and an opportunity for us to really make a difference to the perception of disability and disability sport in this country. I'm thrilled to announce this brilliant and carefully selected team of presenters and reporters; a mix of broadcasting heavyweights and new faces including disabled talent. Our coverage will contain in-depth analysis and intelligent, frank and thought-provoking insight from people who are equipped to bring these incredible but little-understood sports to a broad mainstream audience and help us to make this the biggest Paralympic Games ever." "We will be on air before the sport of the day begins and until the last flag has been rolled up and put away with all the action, expert comment and analysis and specially commissioned breakfast and tea time shows. This is a 400% increase on the coverage The Paralympics has ever received in this country and will make it impossible to ignore." The London 2012 Paralypics will take place between 29 August and 9 September.