By Hollie Arnold
IPC World Javelin F46 Champion
Paralympic Athlete I picked up my first javelin aged 11 at a Star Track event, mainly because my brother had picked it up and I had to try everything he did!! But to my surprise, I was good at it and the coaches on the day were really impressed. I joined the local club and began competing. My coach Anthony Hughes spotted me in a competition, telling my parents I had a star quality and that he’d love to work with me. A few years later, I moved to Wales, competed internationally in Holland and shortly after, was selected for the Beijing Paralympics. Looking back, it’s all a bit of a whirlwind but the journey has helped me grow into the person I am today.
Nearing the grand old age of 22 it’s hard to believe I was only 14 in Beijing. I’d left my parents for a month (I was fine; they weren’t!) and although I had my team around me, it was the beginning of understanding the pressure and focus required to compete on the elite stage. My perception of life changed there and then, and although this forced me to mature earlier than most 14 year olds, I knew I loved it and that this was what I wanted to do. Sport has made me who I am today, on and off the field.
Identifying the theme of International Women’s day; Pledge for Parity, I suppose one area I’d love to see improve is more women flying the flag for disability sport. Tanni Grey Thompson and Hannah Cockroft do a great job, but with the men to women ratio in disability sport weighing heavily towards the men, it would be great to see more female role models. There’s no doubt that since 2012 opportunities for participation have improved and I hope it only continues to grow. The public have fallen in love with the Paralympics, which I think is the first step to growing success.
Reflecting on the past 10 years, I think even if I didn’t have a disability I know I would still be involved in sport. I love to help people and see people achieve; I believe sport offers this in abundance. Someone I take great inspiration from is Jessica Ennis. I’d see her train in Sheffield and think wow, can I be like her? When she couldn’t compete in Beijing I was devastated for her and likewise, when in 2014 at the IPC European Championships my event was taken out of the competition I was heartbroken. All my pembinaan to show what I could do had culminated to nothing. I took strength from Jess’s mental toughness, and like her, made it my aim to come back to my next event even stronger. It’s not only Jess’s athletic ability that inspires me; her public figure and her demeanour showcase her as a true female role model both in and outside of sport, and that’s how I want to be perceived.
The road I’ve travelled in sport has come from the talent I displayed at 11 years old and the hard work and dedication I’ve made to the sport every day since. Every one of those days will be put to the test in Rio this summer. But I suppose the main point I want to make is that prior to giving sport a try, I didn’t know I was going to be a javelin thrower, I just fell in love with it through an opportunity to try athletics. Even if you don’t try sport to compete, but do so just to meet new people and try something new, go and do it. I love my sport and love what I do and I know there is the opportunity out there for other woman and girls too…. Take it!
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