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The Commonwealth Games – 2014 Glasgow
Chantal Petitclerc - Canadian Paralympic Champion
At the age of 13, Chantal Petitclerc lost the use of her legs following an accident. Convincing her to take up swimming in order to develop her strength and stamina, her high school physical education teacher, Gaston Jacques, would have a decisive impact on her life. For Chantal, that was her first contact with sport and training. Four years later, she would discover wheelchair athletics, paving the way for a long and very successful career which would take her to the Barcelona Games in 1992, and ultimately, to the Beijing Games in 2008.
Chantal Petitclerc returned from the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games with 5 gold medals, 2 new world records and 1 new Paralympic record, making her the most celebrated track athlete in history as well as the only Canadian athlete to have won gold medals at the Olympics, Paralympics and Commonwealth Games.
Her career in numbers:
- Five Paralympic Games (Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, Beijing)
- 21 Paralympic medals (including 14 gold medals)
- 3 world records (200m, 400m and 800m)
- Paralympic records (200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m)
- 1 Olympic gold medal in the 800m (demonstration sport)
Chantal has received several recognitions for her sporting career, including being appointed Chevalier de l’Ordre du Québec (2005), being named Personality of the Year by La Presse newspaper (2004) and receiving the Laureus international award (2005). Other recognition:
- Companion of the Order of Canada
- Lou Marsh Trophy as Canadian athlete of the year
- Star on Canada's Walk of Fame
- International Paralympic Committee Female athlete of the year
- La Presse Sports personality of the year
- Honorary Doctorate, University of Ottawa
- 2010 United States Sports Academy’s (USSA) Juan Antonio Samaranch IOC Disabled Athlete Award.
While the Beijing Games would be the last time she would be participating in track competitions, Chantal Petitclerc nevertheless continues to train as she intends to take part in road marathons over the next few years. In 2012, she tried for the first time what could be a new career path as coach and mentor of the UK track and field team at the London Paralympic Games. After her return to Canada, she was named Chef de Mission for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games
Jennifer Khwela – Gymnastics – South Africa
SHE has speed, skill and a body as bendable as a piece of plasticine, and nothing can beat her courage, determination and strength of spirit. Jennifer Khwela has proved that you can get what you want if you have the right attitude and the willingness to go the extra mile, no matter how many curveballs life may toss your way.
The tiny 18-year-old gymnast – who at 1,45 m is no taller than a 10-year-old – enthralled millions of South Africans when she won a silver medal at the recent Commonwealth Games in India. Jennifer was the only black able-bodied athlete to win a medal at the Games and became the first South African gymnast ever to win a silver medal in the competition’s history.And when she stood on the podium in Delhi, India, and accepted her medal for coming second in the vault final, the smile on her face said it all. She was delighted – and so were the rest of us. But as the hype surrounding the medal win died down, the extraordinary story of the young girl’s life began to emerge – a story that is nothing short of inspirational.
Jennifer’s challenges began the day she was born as she was premature and arrived several weeks too early. Nevertheless, she was discharged after a few days and S welcomed by her loving family in their modest Umbilo, Durban, home.
Shortly afterwards, however, she started struggling to breathe and her family rushed her back to hospital. Doctors discovered her lungs were underdeveloped as a result of her premature birth and she was not getting enough oxygen to her brain.
It was touch and go for a while but Jennifer pulled through and proved she was a little fighter. She survived – although she was left with asthma and mild brain damage which would manifest itself in learning difficulties as she grew older.
But Jennifer’s hardships were the last thing on her mind as she took on the best the Commonwealth had to offer in Delhi last month. In addition to her silver medal she came sixth in the beam final and has great memories of the Games.
“I met a lot of famous athletes there,” she says with a radiant smile that rarely seems to leave her face. “I’m happy and proud that I was able to make my country proud. When I returned, the airport in Durban was full of fans, family, friends and people from the media.”
Jennifer is no stranger to winning, though. The lounge in her family’s threebedroom home is filled with trophies and medals the star gymnast has brought home.
In March, for instance, she scooped gold in vault (her favourite apparatus) and bronze in beam at the 2010 International Gymnastics Federation (FIG – Federation Internationale Gymnastique) Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Doha, Qatar.
She is now sixth in the FIG world vaulting rankings and creeping steadily up to the top of the ladder.
Gymnastics has given her a strong physique and she’s often asked why she “looks so strong”. “I spend most of my time in the gym,” she explains. “But at the Commonwealth Games no one asked me why I look the way I do,” she grins. “Everyone was like me. They all had muscles.”
JENNIFER’S love affair with gymnastics started when she was nine years old and watched the 2000 Sydney Olympics on TV. There and then she knew that was what she wanted to do.
Fortunately gymnastics was on offer at her school, Carrington Heights Primary in Durban, and she took to the sport like the proverbial duck to water. A year later talent scouts came looking around and Jennifer stood out from the group of young gymnasts.
“There was something special about her,” recalls Gail Adamson, who owns Thekwini Gymnastics Academy in Durban. “I saw that she had potential. I recruited 16 girls and 10 boys during that session in 2001 but one by one they left after the hard work began
Meggan Dawson-Farrell
Megan epitomises the true spirit of athletics stricken by spina bifida, she was left out of school sports over fears she’d be unable to compete.
But Meggan wouldn’t take no for an answer and finally won permission to train, but even then she was sometimes prevented from using the gym because of health and safety regulations.
But she soldiered on, determined to pursue her dream of competing in para-sports.
It was only seven months ago that Megan left hospital after a series of brain operations – but yesterday she became a proud member of Team Scotland.
Read our interview with her today and marvel at her indomitable spirit.
“The doctors told me to watch what I was doing, but they couldn’t stop me,” she says. “I never doubted I could make Glasgow and I wasn’t about to give in.”
Joel Hodgson – Athletics, Belize
JUST three years ago, Joel Hodgson was sleeping rough on the steps of a police station.
Born in Belize in Central America, adopted by Scottish parents and brought up in Renton, Dunbartonshire, Joel’s life has already been an amazing rollercoaster.
And, in another twist, he is now training to run for Belize at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.
In July, the former Big Issue seller, who now works for one of London’s top law firms, will proudly carry the Olympic torch through the capital.
And last week he discovered he could play an even bigger role at the Glasgow games and line up with some of the world’s best athletes – including world record holder Usain Bolt – in the premier athletics event, the 100m.
Joel has come a long, long way since being born in Belize.
Abandoned by his mum when he was just three months old, Joel – and his sisters Yvette, 26, and Keisha, 27 – ended up in a children’s home.
But, when he was four, they were adopted by Scots marine engineer George Hodgson and his wife Susan, 62.
Joel said: “My birth mum walked out on us when I was a baby and left us with our dad, who was a very bad man. Social services put us in a home.
“The Hodgsons wanted to adopt three children and chose my sisters and I, without knowing we were all related.
“Then they brought us back to Scotland and we had an amazing childhood.
“I rememberseeing snow for the first time and running outside in my underpants. I didn’t know it was going to be so cold.
“Sadly, my dad passed away when I was seven. I owe my Scots mum and dad everything. I owe them my life.
“Who knows what would have happened to me if I had been left in the home in Belize? I would have probably got sucked into a life of crime and drugs.
“It’s thanks to the Hodgsons I am the person I am today. We’ve all done well. My sisters both have good jobs.
“Our parents never let us forget our roots and took us back to Belize every two years to visit our older brother Raymond.
“We couldn’t have wished for a better mum and dad. I’m determined to make them proud.”
At 21, Joel travelled to London hoping to make his fortune with his gardener girlfriend Michelle Clark, who he had met while working in a Motherwell call centre.
One day, while he popped to the shops, Michelle was assaulted on the rough Croydon housing estate where they were living.
Joel said: “Police advised us not to go back to the flat and we ended up on the streets.
“Michelle was offered a place in a homeless hostel but because I was not a drunk, a druggie or gay, I was told to go and fend for myself.
“Not wanting to be separated, we spent three weeks sleeping on the steps of police stations to keep safe until Michelle’s boss found us a flat. Then I got a job selling The Big Issue.
“Life was tough for a while but then things started to improve. “
Joel, who now lives in Enfield with Michelle, 27, spent two years selling the magazine on the streets of London.
Everything changed for him in 2010 when he got the chance to sell The Big Issue at London law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer as part of a pilot scheme.
While there, Joel did unpaid work helping the staff, shadowing them, learning how to use a computer and gaining other skills.
His positive attitude and hard work impressed bosses so much that when a job came up in the billing department, Joel beat hundreds of others to get it.
He said: “I had been selling The Big Issue for two years when the opportunity came up for a vendor to work inside Freshfields.
“I got to do some work experience with them and a year later when a job came up I got it.
“I also took over as player-coach of the company’s football team and this year we won our league.
“They are amazing to work for and I owe them so much. I got the job with Freshfields and it’s been onwards and upwards ever since.”
Joel admits being chosen to join the team of runners carrying the Olympic torch is a dream come true.
He said: “I was over the moon when I discovered I had been chosen to run with the flame. It’s an incredible honour.
“When I was talking to people from the Olympics, I told them how, as a kid, I dreamed of winning the 100m gold.
“Then last week they got in touch to say I’m eligible to compete for Belize at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. I just have to achieve the qualifying times.”
Joel, who ran for Helensburgh Amateur Athletics Club as a boy, said: “I’ve always been a good sprinter and have won lots of trophies but never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have a chance of competing on theworld stage.
“My best 100m time is 10.8seconds and I haven’t run competitively for three years but I still keep fit and try to run at least five miles a day.
“After the Olympics are over, I’ll start training in earnest for Glasgow. I will have to attend Belize training camps and get the times.
“People are joking that Usain Bolt better watch out. It’s all a bit surreal.
“When I was sleeping rough, my main concern was where my next meal might come from and if I would get through the night.
“Now I’ve been picked to run with the flame and could be flying the flag for Belize in Scotland, the country I call home.”
Joel, who has two stepsisters and a stepbrother, said: “I’ve worked really hard to turn my life around but so many people have helped me along the way.
“To run for Belize in Scotland would be my way of thanking them all for believing in me, especially my mum Susan.”