"There are always opportunities" says para champ Whitehead
Richard Whitehead MBE is more than your average sportsman.
The 43-year-old is a double Paralympic gold medallist and four-time World Championships winner in the T42 200m, as well as boasting the world record for the event.
We caught up with Richard ahead of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai to discuss how he is progressing ahead of Tokyo 2020, as well as his work as a motivational speaker and charitable ambassador.
What are your hopes for next month’s Para-Athletics World Championships and the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games?
Always the same, to give it everything and hope that it turns out well! Whether the result is good or bad at least you know you have done your best and that is all you can ask of any athlete.
How long do you think that you can carry on competing at the top level?
I’ve always believed in my ability and worked hard to stay at the top level, but the body tells me at the moment that I can keep going so whilst I have a healthy body and mind, the sky’s the limit!
How did London 2012 and Rio 2016 differ for you as an athlete? Did you feel more pressure at London with the home crowd or did your success in 2012 make you the man to beat in Brazil?
It’s always hard to win back to back titles and have the tools to cope with that pressure and it’s important to have a team around you that is dynamic enough to change the focus!
The pressure was there for sure but more from myself! 200 metres is the same whether you are running in Rio or Loughborough (my home track) it’s more about the visualisation and delivering a strong performance.
What advice would you give to young people watching para-athletics for the first time that may be interested in getting into the sport?
There is always an opportunity for them in sport and it’s about finding the sports that are right for them, but the Paralympic Games has proven that anything is possible. Young people need to know that it’s important to have dreams and aspirations and that it’s possible to achieve them!
You’re a big advocate of promoting the physical and mental benefits that sport can offer. Can you tell us a bit more about the work you’ve done there and in your role as a motivational speaker?
Motivational speaking gives you a new audience to talk to and hopefully through storytelling we can break down some of the barriers and obstacles that are affecting their lives. The power of sport gives you a platform to say and show that anything is possible and we as athletes have an important role to play in inspiring others through positivity.
You’ve also done a lot of charity work with Sarcoma UK, Meningitis Trust, Autism Awareness, Scope, Limb Power, Legs4Africa, Forever Stars, and WalkersNotts homeless charity. What do you look for in organisations that you are aligning yourself with?
Charity work is one of my main focuses. It’s so rewarding and it’s important to give your time as life is important. The charities I’m connected with are important to me and hopefully they feel I add value to them and support their great work.
If you could change one thing about para-athletics, what would it be and why?
The number of events you can participate in! We need more equality in events as currently there is real disparity. Some classifications have many races and others only one to compete in. Everyone should have the same opportunities and currently that is not the case!
How much support do you get in the way of funding and what more needs to be done to support para-athletes?
Athletes are well supported by UK Sport and the National Lottery in the UK. As a British athlete I feel very honoured when I’m representing Team GB knowing the public are behind me for all of my performances. This support really pushes you both in training and competition.