Britain has its own Paralympic couple. Hannah Cockroft and Nathan Maguire have put their wedding plans on hold to compete on the athletics track in the city of love, Paris.
The lovebirds arrived in the French capital with dreams of taking home the gold before tying the knot following the closing ceremony.
Cockroft, 32, has already kept her end of the bargain, reigning supreme in the women’s 100m T34. Maguire, 27, will be aiming to emulate his fiancée’s successes on Tuesday night when he takes to the track in the men’s 1500m T54 final.
The wheelchair pair have been in this situation before. Cockroft is competing in his fourth Paralympic Games (he has already won gold at each one), while Maguire has competed in three.
Paris is just another stop on their journey together that began 12 years ago when a starstruck Maguire met double London 2012 champion Cockroft.
Paralympic track athletes Hannah Cockroft (left) and Nathan Maguire (right) are engaged
Cockroft defended her women’s 100m T34 Paralympic title for the third time on Sunday
Maguire is set to compete in the men’s 1500m T54 final on Tuesday night in his quest for gold.
“It was at a Youth Sport Trust talent day,” Maguire told The Telegraph. “She (Cockroft) was the celebrity guest and I was one of the young athletes, the ‘rising talent’. I have a picture of me asking for her autograph.
‘After that, our paths crossed at events and training sessions. We were friends for about a year and a half before we got together.
“We just have fun and we’re very similar people. The fact that we share a common passion is a big thing. It’s really hard to describe the dedication that this requires for someone who’s not in the sporting world. Being together has made us both better athletes.”
Cockroft suffered two heart attacks within 24 hours of his birth, causing permanent damage to his brain, leading to mobility problems in his hips, legs and feet.
The track athlete is a Paralympic legend, having won eight gold medals at four Games and never lagging behind in the 12 years she has been competing in her sport’s top competition.
While Cockroft has already achieved her goal of defending her world record-holding 100m T34 gold medal for the third time, that is only halfway to her goal of also triumphing in the women’s 800m T34 for a third consecutive time.
However, she doesn’t feel as nervous about competing as she does when she sees her future husband.
“My hopes for Paris are very simple – I’d like to get two gold medals,” Cockcroft told The Telegraph. “But watching Nathan compete will be terrifying, I hate it. It’s so stressful because I know how much effort he’s put into it and how much it means to him. I’d rather compete every day than watch Nathan compete.”
The lovers returned home from the Tokyo 2021 Paralympic Games with medals.
Cockroft has dominated the women’s 100m T34 for a decade and is the world record holder.
The pair’s relationship has blossomed over the years and after the Tokyo Games in 2021, Maguire got down on one knee and proposed to his champion girlfriend in Copenhagen.
After an initial anxious wait, as the pair shared a laugh, Maguire got the answer he wanted when Cockroft gave him a resounding yes.
The couple will marry three weeks after the Paralympics in Cockroft’s home town of Halifax, Yorkshire.
Cockroft has achieved everything there is to achieve in her sport and is very interested in the idea of starting a family with Maguire after their wedding. However, that moment will only come on one condition.
“I want to have children but we have to find the right time,” Cockroft added. “I’m in my prime and I don’t want to miss out on this opportunity but I’m sure I’ll get it. I keep telling Nathan that he has to win Paralympic gold first and then I’ll take some time off.”
Maguire proposed to Cockroft after Tokyo three years ago, while on holiday in Copenhagen.
The 27-year-old has come close to achieving his goal of Paralympic gold in the past, taking silver in the world relay three years ago in Tokyo.
However, Maguire will not be taking part in the relay this time around, and her hopes of securing a top podium spot in Paris depend on the 1500m T34 final.