Venue: Tokyo, Japan Dates: 24 August-5 September Time in Tokyo: BST +8Protection: Observe on Radio 5 Stay and on the BBC Sport web site
Baroness Gray-Thompson, who gained 11 Paralympic gold medals for Nice Britain and competed at each summer time Video games from 1988 to 2004, is a part of the BBC Radio 5 Stay staff in Japan. Right here, she talks about assembly Sarah Storey – who has damaged the document for many Paralympic gold medals by a British athlete – for the primary time practically 30 years in the past.
I first met the then Sarah Bailey again in September 1992, sitting outdoors our lodging block within the Paralympic village in Barcelona. I believe we had been going to be doing one thing for Blue Peter.
On the age of 23 to her 14 I bear in mind pondering that she regarded actually younger. I now look again on the images of that point and realise simply how younger she was.
She was about midway by her debut Paralympics, the place she gained six medals, together with two golds.
I bear in mind pondering again to my first Video games at 19 and never feeling half as ready as she regarded. She simply appeared content material with herself and really composed.
After Atlanta 4 years later, the place she gained one other three golds, we spent a while collectively visiting colleges within the North West and it felt the world was her oyster.
Sarah Bailey – as she then was – pictured with members of the Nice Britain squad on the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta, the place, aged 18, she gained three gold medals in swimming
Quick ahead one other few cycles and it seems that her swimming profession was nearly prepping her for her biking profession, which began in 2005.
There’s a part of me that needs she had discovered biking 4 years earlier, however generally you need to let issues circulation naturally. Assembly Barney, a pilot on the biking staff who later grew to become her husband, meant that when she made the choice to modify she had speedy entry to somebody who knew the game on the highest degree.
The principle factor that I like about her is that she works actually laborious. It’s not sufficient to win gold and there are numerous ways in which she may win a race, and generally with much less power expended, however each time she competes she needs to be one of the best she might be.
That focus and dedication I noticed in her at 14 remains to be there.
Racing is the good half to an extent, however making your self exit and do all of the actually laborious miles within the winter is what makes a champion. You by no means understand how lengthy you may need in elite sport so she makes probably the most of what she has.
I’ve at all times seen her be respectful of fellow athletes however it feels at occasions that she additionally competes towards herself and he or she is a tricky particular person to dwell as much as.
She is among the British athletes of whom we dangle gold medals across the neck earlier than they compete, however she nonetheless has to place in good performances.
The dearth of crowds in Tokyo has been robust for all opponents, however for somebody like Sarah, who has given a lot to the game, it does appear considerably unfair that she can not share this historic second with these closest to her who’ve supported her since her earliest days in sport.
I’m used to seeing her household in a giant group at observe occasions. Her dad and mom have been to each Video games as much as this one and I do know she misses them – I do too.
I miss the ‘Go Bails’ flag that they used to have – ‘Go Storey’ would not have the identical ring to it!
I additionally bear in mind first seeing the knitted dolls that her dad and mom had of her and Barney a very long time in the past they usually have now added to it with their youngsters – Louisa and Charlie – and their cat. Apparently they’re sitting on Sarah’s mattress so she will have her household shut.
There’s a lot made from elite athletes changing into mums, however so many individuals have no idea the alternatives and plans that must be made so this may occur.
I bear in mind speaking to Sarah about my very own chaotic expertise of motherhood. It’s a robust determination and all the talents you have got discovered in sport about negotiating, planning and logistics simply get honed when it occurs.
Sarah Storey and Lee Pearson each added three gold medals to their tallies in Tokyo
It makes you realise that you’re privileged and if you’re going to be each an athlete and a mum, then you definitely simply should make each work.
I used to be privileged to be on the velodrome in Rio when she gained her twelfth gold, which beat my document.
There wasn’t a lot that wanted to be stated. I used to be actually proud that she had completed it. Information are a second in time and you might be fortunate when you maintain them. To cross it on to somebody I respect is a bonus. It was by no means a case of ‘if’ however ‘when’.
Though Sarah and I clearly choose particular person sports activities, it will have been enjoyable to do one thing along with her the place our careers overlapped.
There have been many individuals who needed her to strive athletics however I believe it had the identical lack of enchantment as me doing swimming.
Most of us are solely good at one sport – I used to be solely good at wheelchair racing – however there are in all probability three or 4 sports activities she may have transferred into and been good at them.
I think about Louisa and Charlie are pretty swift on their bikes so they could give me a run for my cash if I used to be to race them.
If I had been to sum up her profession I believe she has been a tremendous bike owner who occurred to do swimming for a bit. Extra energy to her simply staying in love with the game and her carrying on being one of the best she will.
