"The Paralympics has a bigger message and duty"

We have a different challenge to the Olympics, which — and I hope this doesn’t sound bad — can basically plonk the same product every four years for people to watch. But the Paralympics has a bigger message and duty: to enhance and improve the lives of disabled people all over the world using sport.

What do you hope this year’s coverage will achieve?

We’re trying to crack how we connect what we do with the plight of everyday disabled people. There are 16 million people with disabilities in the UK. Many will struggle to get jobs or use public transport. Many will be living in poverty. And that does not change unless people with a profile start giving them a voice.

There’s no point in basking in glory with our medals when millions of disabled people are struggling. Without us recognising that, it makes what we do pointless.

The home Games in London in 2012 had a big impact. Were they personal for you, too?

I grew up in Stratford and to see the transformation in my area was emotional; to see athletes running down the streets where I’d played football and later on worked. And then there was the huge public response — it was the first time the Paralympics had full stadiums for every event. Before 2012, most sporting role models were footballers, Olympic athletes and rugby players, but very rarely a Paralympian.

How has your own athletics career shaped your view of the Paralympics?

One of the messages I carry from people who mentored me is: you can’t change things until people who are not going to benefit directly are prepared to stand up for those who are dealing with those challenges. That’s where we have to be as Paralympians.

Milly Pickles

The athlete and fitness and disability advocate lost her right leg at the age of 20. She trained as a Paralympian for Paris 2024 in the 100m sprint but stopped before selection. She’ll be reporting trackside from Paris.

What did the experience of training for Paris 2024 mean to you and has it affected your feelings about the Games?

Every day, I said to myself, “I want to be in the 2024 Paralympics” and cried. I could visualise so strongly finishing the race. But a huge amount of graft goes into even just learning how to put your leg at a 90-degree angle. It was tough to stop, but I fell out of love with the intensity of the training. I hugely admire the athletes. It’s so impressive to be disabled and fight through everything and conquer it.

Why did you run the London Marathon this year?

To prove to myself that I could do more things. A few weeks before, I was in a wheelchair, unsure I’d be able to run. I’m glad I gave it my all. If I don’t stick to what I say I’m going to do, I lose belief in myself.

Which Paralympian has inspired you the most?

When I was in hospital, a friend sent me a video of ParalympicsGB gold-medal winning sprinter Jonnie Peacock, who had somehow heard about my accident. He said that while it might seem like the most awful thing in the world, it would soon become a distant memory, which really stuck with me. Receiving that advice from someone I look up to was pivotal, and it’s really carried me through the past seven years.

What impact has Channel 4’s Paralympics coverage had on representation of disability?

It’s been huge. The commitment to the Games has shown how not to feel sorry for disabled people, because we’re just like any other person. And now almost all the reporters have disabilities, its impact this year will be greater than ever.

How have you prepared for your presenting debut?

I’ve done some jiu-jitsu — the more I can understand sports I’m reporting on, the better. In my media training, I’ve dealt with interviewees crying. When you’ve trained for so long and you’ve pictured this moment and you haven’t won, it can make you crack. I can empathise, and I know this is everything for them. I didn’t get anywhere near where they are so I have massive respect. I’m thrilled to be chucked in at the deep end!

What’s the best advice you’ve been given in your new role?

You can learn and revise everything about the sports, but on the day you’ll use one per cent of that knowledge and everything will go haywire, so be reactive and deal with it. The viewer wants the basic questions asked — we don’t need to be experts. It’s important we go into it and learn from it. I’ve been told to have three questions in my back pocket — and to have fun