At the breakfast table with ... Hannah Cockroft MBE

5 x Paralympic Champion, T.V presenter and all round star, Hannah Cockroft gives us a wonderful insight into her world…

Q:  Hi Hannah! Thanks so much for sharing an insight into your world as a Paralympic athlete and gold medallist! Could you start with a quick overview of what or who inspired you to want to become a professional athlete?

A: I was never really inspired, it just kind of happened! I never dreamt of wanting to be a Paralympian or a Paralympic Champion, sport was something I was always kept away from as a child, being told at school that it wasn’t possible for me. I was always very active though and very determined. I will still go out of my way to prove someone wrong if they say I can’t do something, so that was probably my inspiration! But ultimately, my inspiration came from my parents. They always helped me to do the things that I wanted to do, they never said no just because of my disability and I’ve always wanted to make them proud, so I hope I’ve done that now.

Q: What is one thing you love and one thing you hate about competitive sport?

A: I love that it’s anyone’s game, you are never guaranteed the win and that’s what keeps you working. It’s exciting to watch or be in a race and have no idea who the strongest person is- you just hope that it’s you! I hate that that insecurity of being the best can really bring the worst out in people though. It can create a lot of jealousy and people trying to find reasons other than someone’s hard work as to why they win, that’s not so nice to be at the receiving end of.

Q: How strongly do you believe that a positive mindset influences physical success?

A: 100%! I truly think that you have to believe you can win before you even get close to doing so. It’s a fine balance though, you can’t get to the point of believing you’re untouchable, otherwise the work ethic starts to disappear, so I think you have to believe in yourself and the work that you’ve put in, but also know that only the best version of yourself can be the winner, that’s who has to turn up to the start line. The athlete that has eaten well, slept well, hasn’t missed training sessions, has maintained their equipment… if every box is ticked, then you are ready.

Q: You have accomplished some incredible things in your career so far. Is there one achievement that you are most proud of, and why?

A: Oh, there are so many, it’s so hard to pick one! Obviously all 5 of my Paralympic medals are special in their own ways, and I remember each race and each win fondly. But I think I am particularly proud of my most recent World Championship win. In Dubai in 2019 I entered the 100m not as the World Record Holder and the favourite to win for the first time ever. My personal best time wasn’t even close to that of the World Record holder at the time. I just went in really calm, accepted that I was prepared as I could be and if that meant a silver medal for me, then I should be proud of that, but everything just fell together on race day and I knocked a massive 0.4 of a second off my personal best time to take the win and a New World Record. Even better for me was that I went under 17 seconds for the first time ever, in training or in racing, which was a goal I had been trying to achieve for 7 years! It was a massive moment for me!

Q: How important for you is eating the right foods to fuel your body, so you can perform at your best? And how does breakfast fit into that for you?

A: It’s massively important for me to be eating the right foods to fuel my training and competition, but it’s definitely something I’ve had to work at and learn about. I have a huge, sweet tooth, so controlling that is sometimes so hard! But breakfast for me is always the meal I can’t miss; it just starts my day off and gives me the energy I need to get up and get going. I’m always hungry when I first wake up, so I know I can’t leave the house without something inside me first. 

Q: You clearly have an amazingly positive attitude towards life even though you have faced physical challenges from the start. Do you have any go-to mental strategies that help you to stay motivated and positive during tough or challenging times?

A: I think my biggest tip is don’t feel guilty taking a break! When everything is feeling a little overwhelming, I just step away for a little while. We’re all spending so much time staring at screens at the moment, don’t be afraid to turn it off. Read a book, go for a walk, phone a friend, I find the escapism really helps. Also, I find scheduling my day really helps too, so I try not to answer emails on weekends, and I try to finish my work by 6pm on week days, just to feel like there is a separation between jobs to be done and time to relax whilst at home. And if all else fails, I just go training! I’m so lucky that my job is literally to push around in circles outside, and when I start to forget that I just have to go to work and I quickly remember.

Q: What does your morning routine look like at the moment?

A: I like to sleep, so I usually don’t wake up until 8.30am and I allow myself 20 minutes or so to sit and scroll! Then I’m up, have my breakfast in the comfort of my pyjamas and then get ready for the day. I usually have a zoom call scheduled for midmorning, just so I have to get up for something and then it’s out the door (at the moment, I’m only getting as far as the garage, but it’s a start!) for training. It’s a really leisurely morning, I hope I can keep up how calm it is when we’re out of lockdown!

Q: Finally, how important to you are your Yorkshire roots when representing your country on a global stage such as the Paralympics?

A: Being from Yorkshire is a massive part of me, and I am so proud of it! If I could represent Yorkshire at the Paralympics, I would! I just love standing amongst some absolute sporting greats when I say I’m from Yorkshire, we are the power county when it comes to sport, and I love being a part of that. Everyone from Yorkshire is insanely proud of where they’re from, and I don’t think I will ever lose that.

Follow Hannah on Instagram @hlcmbe to keep up with her training and news!