Calderdale athletes aiming for gold at Paralympics 2021

Racer Hannah Cockroft, basketball player Harry Brown and table tennis player Megan Shackleton have all been picked for Team GB’s squad at this year’s Paralympic Games, which start next week.

Halifax’s ‘Hurricane Hannah’ MBE already holds five Paralympic gold medals, as well as multiple world records and world championship titles.

The 29-year-old said she is excited to be competing in her third Paralympic Games.

“It’s been a strange couple of years and it was never definite that we would get this far,” she said.

“I’ll be racing in the 100m and 800m, and I’m already Paralympic Champion in both events so I’m looking forward to the challenge of retaining those titles against the world’s best.”

Hannah’s first race is on August 28 and she races again on August 29 and September 4.

Harry Brown, 27 and also from Halifax, is due to fly out to today for what will be his second Paralympics and plays his first game on August 26.

“I’m feeling really good,” he said. “It’s been a really weird summer as usually we get around to other countries to play other teams and we’ve not had that, we’ve just played ourselves but the team is in good shape.”

Table tennis star Megan Shackleton, 22, is from Todmorden. This is her first Paralympics and she will compete in the singles and team events, with her first match on Wednesday, August 25.

“I’ve dreamt about representing GB at the highest level since I was nine after watching Beijing 2008, so to finally realise that dream is an amazing feeling,” she said.

“I know they and my friends will be supporting so loud from home, so I hope I just go out there and make them proud.”