Britain is an “incredibly scary place for disabled people right now”, according to the leading Paralympian Hannah Cockroft who says the government is “failing to listen” to the needs of some of the most vulnerable people in society.
The wheelchair racer and seven time Paralympic gold medal winner will be favourite to retain her T34 100m and 800m titles in Paris this year. But between now and her fourth Games a series of challenges remain for the 31-year-old and not all of them are on the track.
Cockroft says the recognition achieved by Paralympians in the decade since London 2012 has meant that public perception has become one of overcoming adversity, when the truth is that the struggles disabled people face have only grown in that time.
“You see us go out on the track and field and you see us do incredible things and suddenly our disability disappears in people’s eyes,” said Cockroft. “We come across as massively independent and that we can conquer the world but we can’t. I still can’t get on a train on my own I still can’t catch a bus. I still depend on Personal Independence Payments.
“The segregation between Paralympians and every other disabled person is damaging. Britain is an incredibly scary place for every disabled person right now. You feel targeted with every announcement that comes out, you feel unsupported.”
Last week the chair of ParalympicsGB, Dave Clarke, wrote an open letter to Rishi Sunak calling on the prime minister to reverse the decision to downgrade the role of minister for disabled people within government.
“I think Dave wants the disability community to know that Paralympics GB is representing you as well, we’re having the same fights, the same struggles,” Cockroft said. Asked if she thought the government were listening to the disabled community, she replied: “No, not recently.”
Cockroft believes Paris will be “huge” in terms of returning the spotlight to disability sport and activism, but argues that the momentum for change commonly accepted to have sprung from London 2012 long ago fizzled out.
“I had a really unrealistic view of the Paralympics because London was my first Games. I’ve spoken to other athletes who made their debut in London and it was almost like we were naive in thinking that was the support Paralympic sport got. Between London and Rio every world championship, every European championship was televised, well attended, well supported and I just got this sense of promise which didn’t last.
“I think I really noticed it in the journey between Rio and Tokyo. That was when I noticed the TV coverage fall away, we didn’t get the crowds any more, we didn’t get integrated as much as we had been the previous four years. Everything started to disappear and the more you spoke to athletes who’ve done a few games they would say: ‘Oh yeah this is more like it, this is what being a Paralympian is.’”
British success has continued to grow during this period, with ParalympicsGB finishing second in the medal table in Tokyo three years ago. Cockroft has been at the forefront of these achievements, currently holding the world records at no fewer than five distances (100, 200 400, 800 and 1500m). But the West Yorkshire native, speaking as an ambassador for Dreams as part of their partnership with ParalympicsGB, says that the gap British athletes have held over their rivals has diminished, particularly in the flagship women’s T34 100m sprint.
“Investment into our sport is making the 100 so hard,” she said. “Even though we’re really advanced in our team we’re a little bit behind in terms of the support we get in the actual equipment. Now everyone has the intel as to what is the best chair set up, what’s the best wheel, what is going to make us the most aerodynamic. And there’s so much new equipment coming out.
“I went in a wind tunnel for the first time about two months ago. That’s the first time in 16 years, where other countries have been doing it for years and years. Then there is the Sauber race chair that Marcel Hug pushes, a lot of people have moved over to that. I don’t have a spare 40 grand so I’m not making that switch.”
Cockroft says she starts the year “with a lot of apprehension” but she does so with a smile and her attitude could simply be understood as the determination of a champion. She admits to studying her rivals’ Instagram Stories for details on their training and equipment. Pledges to reduce the number of distances she competes in look likely to be deferred again.
With a world championship, two grand prix and a potential Diamond League appearance before the Games begin, more world records could well fall between now and Paris. For those who might come fresh to Hurricane Hannah this August, she likes to put it this way: “If you enjoy watching Dina Asher-Smith I promise you’ll enjoy what I do, too.”
