Hannah Cockroft Visits Wainstalls School In Halifax To Share Secrets Of Her Success

A GB&NI Para-Athlete legend from West Yorkshire returned to her former school to inspire the next generation of would-be athletes and prove nothing seems impossible if you imagine what’s possible.

Hannah Cockroft OBE, 32, a T34 sprinter and multiple gold medallist, returned to Wainstalls School in Halifax to discuss her career with pupils. Gold medals in hand, Hannah took questions on being a successful athlete, discussing inclusivity and her own ‘can do let’s try it’ attitude.

The visit was arranged by Irwin Mitchell, which has teamed up with British Athletics to highlight some of the amazing stories of the nation’s GB&NI para-athletes, while showing young people how they can follow their example in their own lives.

It forms part of Irwin Mitchell’s Imagine campaign, which showcases how those who have experienced a life-changing illness or injury, have overcome challenges to help them start to imagine what’s possible.

Expert Opinion

“It’s been amazing to be a part of bringing Hannah back to her school and seeing the impact she made on the children.

“Since bursting onto the athletics scene, with multiple gold medals awards and world records, Hannah seems to have been around forever and its staggering to think she’s only in her 30’s.

“We have helped many clients who have experienced serious injury and helped them face many challenges as they rebuild their lives. Sport has been a key part of the recovery process for many and Hannah’s story is an inspiration, showing what can be achieved, despite the odds.

“We’re delighted to have partnered with Hannah over the years and with British Athletics to see her impact a whole new generation at her former school and keep pushing the value of inclusivity. The school’s motto is ‘together we can’ and Hannah is living proof of that claim.” Rachelle Mahapatra

Hannah is one of the world’s best-known and most successful GB & NI para-athletes. Specialising in sprint distances, Hannah is a seven-time paralympic champion and holds the world records in the 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1500 metre events in the T34 classification.

Hannah took two golds at the London 2012 Paralympics, winning a further three golds at Rio 2016. She won gold at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, with a new world record. Hannah was born with weak hips, deformed feet and legs and mobility problems however none the less she was still able to make these golden achievements.

Hannah said: “When I was born, I had two cardiac arrests which left me with multiple areas of brain damage. Doctors told my parents I would never walk, I would never talk and that I would never live an independent life. I managed to turn all that around.

“Wainstalls School were fantastic with me. I was the first and only disabled child to attend the school. Everything in my childhood was about giving it a go. Everything I could do, I went ahead with. Anything I couldn’t do I found a way to deal with. I was brought up with a very ‘can do let’s try it’ attitude.

“It makes me incredibly proud that one of the school values is inclusion. It impacts everybody and it’s so important. To have my name connected to that value and have people understand its importance because of you being here 22 years ago or something mad. It just goes to show that you never get forgotten.”

British Athletics said: “British Athletics is proud to partner with Irwin Mitchell, as we celebrate the role they’ve played in taking our para athletes back to their schools and communities to inspire the future generations.

“We understand where it started for our athletes – their schools, their local communities and their families – and how these were crucial building blocks to their success on and off the field of play.”

There are 9.4m disabled people in England but only one in six takes part in sport regularly. The Imagine campaign from Irwin Mitchell is part of efforts to encourage more people to get involved.