29 Aug 2011

London 2012 Paralympics: the ones to watch

As the London 2012 Paralympics event schedule is released Channel 4 News profiles some of the athletes to watch. They include a teenage basketball star and a Commonwealth Games gold medallist.

Danielle Brown is a Paralympic champion in archery.

Danielle Brown – Archery

Twenty-three year old Danielle is a Paralympic Champion who also won a gold medal competing against able-bodied athletes at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Dehli.

She was the first Paralympian to represent England in an able-bodied event at the Games although she was followed by cyclist Sarah Storey (see below).

Brown has reflex sympathetic dystrophy (chronic pain) and competes sitting down or leaning against a stool.

She has a first class degree in Law from the University of Leicester.

Charlotte Henshaw (Getty)

Charlotte Henshaw – Swimming

Charlotte Henshaw is a 24-year old swimmer from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

She is a main rival of high profile breaststroke swimmer Liz Johnson. Liz won Paralympic gold in Beijing when Charlotte finished fourth. But at the 2010 European Championships Charlotte beat Liz to take the title.

Charlotte is a double-leg amputee who describes herself as “sociable, academic and chilled”.

Charlotte’s dad used to be a member of the GB Karate team.

Martin Sinclair (Getty)

Martin Sinclair – Football

Martin is in the 7-aside GB football squad for athletes with cerebral palsy and brain injuries.

Martin’s brother, Scott Sinclair, is a professional footballer who made his debut at Chelsea under Jose Mourinho.

Seven-aside football follows FIFA rules although there are some adaptations such as a smaller pitch and smaller goals. Players are also allowed to do throw-ins one-handed.

Martin describes himself as a “versatile midfielder”.

Maddie Thompson (SA Images)

Maddie Thompson – Basketball

Maddie (picture courtesy of SA images) was the youngest player to be selected for GB at under-22 level when she was aged just 14.

She was part of the women’s wheelchair basketball team which won gold at the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester in 2011.

Maddie is a single-leg amputee who plays for the Sheffield Steelers.

The teenager says 2012 will be a unique experience: “It will be great to be competing in London in front of home crowds and this will give us a big home advantage. It will be a huge boost, and is a big motivation.”

Libby Clegg (Getty)

Libby Clegg – Athletics

Libby is a Paralympic silver medallist in the 100m and a World Champion.

The 21-year old has a deteriorating eye condition known as Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy disease. She is registered blind and runs with a guide.

A former keen ballet dancer Libby burst onto the scene in 2006 aged just 16-years-old.

Her lifetime ambitions are to win a gold at the Paralympics and to raise awareness of disability sport.

Jordanne Whiley

Jordanne Whiley – Tennis

Nineteen-year-old Jordanne started playing wheelchair tennis at the age of three and has picked up a number of titles since.

Her ambition is to beat legendary Dutch wheelchair tennis player Esther Vergeer at London 2012.

When playing doubles she partners fellow Briton Lucy Shuker.

Jordanne was born with brittle bones – her dad has the same disability and competed in the 1984 Paralympics.