By Jacque Talbot
Manchester Met’s very own Sports Scholars have done the university proud by winning gold at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio. Cyclist Helen Scott has won gold and bronze medals and Kadeena Cox has made history by becoming the first Paralympian since 1988 to win gold in two different sports.
Kadeena, a GB Paralympic cyclist and athletics competitor, suffered a stroke in 2014 which left her with multiple sclerosis. She told Humanity Hallows, “I am a very determined and competitive person.”
Kadeena is a BSc Physiotherapy student, but put her plans on hold to pursue her dream of golden glory at the 2016 Paralympics. She said, “I deferred my studies until after Rio, instead of doing two things sort of half-heartedly. After Rio, I can focus on my degree – I want to be a neurological physiotherapist.”
The university’s Sports Scholarship programme is aimed at students with a natural interest in seeing their sporting potential being fulfilled, and so it seems, the programme has now enabled a new generation of British sports champions in these pair of sport stars.
Helen Scott, is another extremely talented cyclist who has won gold at Rio 2016 in the 1km time trial and bronze in 3km individual pursuit. Scott insists she still is focused on her BSC Sport and Exercise Science degree at Manchester Met University: “Study is a nice distraction, learning something away from training is really nice – to be able to switch off and focus on something else. My tutors have been amazing, it’s worked out perfectly and I’m on a roll now so I can keep going after Rio.”
Previously at the Commonwealth Games 2014, Helen and partner Sophie Thornhill claimed an impressive two gold medals: one in the kilo and one in sprint. She and Sophie also became world champion in the kilo and sprints event at the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships.
You can follow the GB Paralympic athletes on hashtag #MMUatRio and follow our Rio campaign at#morethanmedals.
You can watch further events in the Paralympics here http://paralympics.channel4.com/news/how-watch-the-2016-paralympic-games-with-channel/
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