The British Paralympic Association has trusted us for legal support and guidance for more than a decade as its Gold Partner and Official Legal Services Provider – a relationship that predates Beijing 2008. As part of our commitment to the BPA, legal advice, secondments, and volunteers have been provided across a variety of areas, including commercial contracting advice, branding protection, and assistance to teams and athletes with classification and sport-specific challenges.
Over the years, ParalympicsGB has gained a reputation for excellence among the world's leading sporting nations, achieving historic results in London 2012, Sochi 2014, Rio 2016, PyeongChang 2018, Tokyo 2020, and Beijing 2022. We will continue to support the team as it prepares for, and competes at, the Paris Games..
Between 2015-21, Paralympic, World, European and Commonwealth Champion swimmer Ollie Hynd MBE was appointed as the firm’s Paralympic Ambassador. Since 2018, we’ve also provided bursaries to offer financial support to 46 incredible athletes. The bursaries help athletes with any aspect of their sporting development, including additional coaching, transportation to training camps and competitions, nutrition and equipment.
GB Wheelchair Rugby, World Wheelchair Rugby, Boccia UK and the International Boccia Federation have also received pro bono support from us as part of our commitment to para-sport.
We supported Ollie from June 2015 until his retirement in 2021, and he remains a treasured friend of Hogan Lovells. Ollie started swimming at a young age, but it was watching his brother, Sam, compete in the Beijing Paralympic Games in 2008 that inspired him to become a ParalympicsGB athlete. Since then, Ollie has become one of the greatest Paralympians in British swimming history – as one of the few athletes to hold the titles Paralympic, World, European and Commonwealth Champion simultaneously.
Name: Ollie Hynd
Length of career: 9 years competing internationally
Top 3 accolades:
1) Paralympic gold at London 2012
2) Double Paralympic gold at Rio 2016
3) Double world record at Rio 2016
How you got into your sport: I got into the sport due to my parents wanting me to learn to swim. I always loved being in the water and was very competitive at a young age, so this lead to me joining my local swimming club. I gradually built my way up, until I was selected to train with Nova centurion swimming squad, who I still train with today. I started off competing at regional level until I had progressed all the way to representing GB in 2011.
Your proudest moment in sport: My proudest moment in sport would be winning two gold medals at the Rio 2016 games.
Favourite/iconic moment in sporting History: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scoring the winning goal for Manchester United in the 99’ Champions league final.
Your most inspiring sporting hero/figure: Michael Phelps and Cristiano Ronaldo
Nicholas Cheffings Para Athlete Bursary 2023
This is our sixth year supporting para athletes with a bursary. The 2023 bursary will provide financial support to para athletes who have aspirations of being selected for the Paris 2024 Paralympics Games.
The bursary is intended to help athletes with any aspect of their sporting development, including additional coaching, transportation to training camps and competitions, nutrition and equipment.
Each of our recipients have an amazing story to share. Find out more about them, their career and their sporting triumphs here:
Rebecca Bedford
Name: Rebecca Bedford
Sport: Para Powerlifting
Length of career: 4 years
Top 3 accolades:
1) 2022 European Champion
2) British Record Holder in both -61 and -67 classes
3) 6th at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
How you got into your sport: I used to be part of the GB Para Badminton squad training for Tokyo 2020, however it was announced that there was to be no women’s competition for my class at the Paralympics. This news was devastating however I was determined to become a Paralympian. I went to a Discover your Gold day where I met the Para Powerlifting coaches who said I had potential with this sport. Friend and fellow athlete Olivia Broome really encouraged me to take up Powerlifting and within a year I became English Champion.
Your proudest moment in sport: Stepping on to the stage at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and being greeted by the roar of the home crowd is my proudest moment to date. This has made me more determined to get to the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: Pierre Gasly’s F1 win at Monza 2020. Despite the change of teams and facing a lot of outside negativity, he proved everyone wrong and won. This proves how strong self-belief is and how far it can take you.
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: My sporting inspiration is Ellie Simmonds as she paved the way for more athletes with dwarfism to take up elite sport, acting as an inspiration for a whole generation of athletes.
Olivia Breen
Name: Olivia Breen
Sport: Athletics
Length of career: 10 years
Top 3 accolades:
1) T38 Long Jump World Champion, 2017
2) T38 Long Jump Paralympic Bronze Medallist, 2021
3) T37/38 100m Commonwealth Champion, 2022
How you got into your sport: I always loved running since winning my first race in infants school. I loved the feeling of being good at something and running made me feel really happy. Throughout my childhood I tried all sports like dance, trampolining, swimming, and horseriding but athletics was always my favourite. I was part of a local athletics club at junior school and then when I was 13 I joined City of Portsmouth AC and loved it. When I was 15 I went to a talent day for disability sport organised by British Athletics and in January 2012 I was classified as a T38 athlete. Nine months later I was taking part at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Your proudest moment in sport: I have many proud moments but my proudest moment is without a doubt winning Commonwealth Gold in the 100m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. I really enjoy long jump but sprinting is my great love. I have been racing against the same person in my class for nine years and I genuinely thought she was unbeatable. In 2022 however, I began to believe that I could do it and that belief became a reality at the Games. It is my proudest moment because it would have been very easy to give up but I didn't - I kept going and that is why this medal means so much.
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: Seeing Jess Ennis win gold in London 2012 - she really had to work for that medal and it is a story of dedication and perseverance.
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: Jess Ennis, because she didn't give up.
Hope Gordon
Name: Hope Gordon
Sport: Paracanoe
Length of career: 5 years
Top 3 accolades:
1) 3x World medallist
2) First ever female to represent ParalympicsGB in Nordic Skiing
3) 2x European medallist
How you got into your sport: Charlotte Henshaw shared an advert on social media that British Canoeing were looking for new talent athletes. Fast forward a few years and we were stood beside each other on the podium at World Championships!
Your proudest moment in sport: Winning my first international medal was pretty cool! Also getting to the Winter Paralympics after only being on snow for 10 weeks was a mad but exciting moment.
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: For me I think it has to be when I first watched the Paralympics. I was in hospital having treatment during the summer Paralympics in Beijing 2008. I knew nothing about Paralympic sport at the time and had no idea how much my life would change.
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: I look up to lots of different people for different reasons. Sometimes we can find inspiration much closer to home and I will always look up to my granny.
Jude Hamer
Name: Jude Hamer
Sport: Wheelchair basketball
Length of career: 14 years international
Top 3 accolades:
1) World championship finalist
2) European championship finalist
3) Women's Premier League and National Premier League Champion 2021/22
How you got into your sport: Through my PE teacher at high school taking me to a local club.
Your proudest moment in sport: Making the World Championship final in 2018.
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: women's football Euros
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: Sue Bird
Samantha Kinghorn
Name: Samantha Kinghorn
Sport: Athletics wheelchair racing
Length of career: 10 years
Top 3 accolades:
1) Double World Champion 100m & 200m, 2017
2) Paralympic Silver 400m Bronze 100m at Tokyo
3) Bronze 1500m Birmingham Commonwealth Games
How you got into your sport: I got into sport when I went to the spinal unit games after I was involved in a life changing accident at 14 years old. From the moment I saw wheelchair racing it inspired me, to me it seemed like a new opportunity. I started competing after I watched the 2012 Paralympics and I’ve never looked back.
Your proudest moment in sport: Becoming double world champion in 2017. I got to compete in the stadium that inspired me in the first place and win my first gold world medal at home in front of all my friends and family. I also managed to break my own world record in the 200m.
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: My favourite moment in sporting history is Roger Bannister breaking the 4 minute mile barrier. I just think it shows that just because nobody has done it that doesn't mean that you can't be the first! Nothing is impossible.
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: My sporting hero is Beth Tweddle. When I was younger I was really into gymnastics and Beth Tweddle was the first female gymnast to win a medal for Great Britain. She used to utterly mesmerise me as a child. Still to this day, she is someone I look up to as she overcame a lot of bullying and fought so hard.
Aaron McKibbin
Name: Aaron McKibbin
Sport: Para Table Tennis
Length of career: 13 years representing Great Britain internationally
Top 3 accolades:
1) World singles Bronze medallist, 2022
2) Paralympic bronze medallist London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020
3) European Silver medallist
How you got into your sport: I started my sport at school during a wet lunchtime when we weren’t allowed out . I was spotted by a coach we had coming into our school who was top 20 in the country. He believed I had a lot of natural talent and kept persisting to persuade me to take it up more seriously even when I wasn’t initially keen. Thankfully he did as I went on from strength to strength and could not imagine representing Great Britain when I started messing around at school.
Your proudest moment in sport: My proudest moment in sport has to be winning the bronze medal in Rio 2016 in team event. We had to beat China, which in our sport are the gods of the sport. With the score at 1-1 it was down to my match to decide if we went home with a medal or nothing. To deliver on the biggest stage and not just for myself but for my other two team mates, my coaches, and the country was a feeling I find hard to put into words but it’s still the best feeling I have had.
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: One of my favourite sporting moments that always seems to stick In my mind is when Goran Ivanišević won the Wimbledon final from being a wild card. He had made so many attempts to win a Grand Slam previously and at the last opportunity he delivered. You can see the look on his face that he almost couldn’t believe he had done it. I found this so inspiring for all the losses he took to get to that stage made that moment even sweeter.
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: I have always found Novak Djokovic inspiring. His mentality and mindset is always something I look up to and try to emulate in my own sport to deliver performances even when all the odds are against you.
Beth Munro
Name: Beth Munro
Sport: Para-taekwondo
Length of career: 2 years
Top 3 accolades:
1) Paralympic Silver Medal
2) European Gold Medal
3) Grand Prix Medallist of all colours
How you got into your sport: I was scouted at a disability talent ID event in North Wales. Your proudest moment in sport: Becoming European Champion on home soil in Manchester.
Your proudest moment in sport: Stepping on to the stage at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and being greeted by the roar of the home crowd is my proudest moment to date. This has made me more determined to get to the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: Liverpool FC’s Istanbul Champions League final in 2005.
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: Lionesses, England women's football team.
Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker
Name: Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker
Sport: Para-Athletics (60, 100 & 200m)
Length of career: Training for just over 5 years.
Top 3 accolades:
1) Winning the commonwealth games
2) Meeting with the Duchess of Cambridge and speaking to her about my sport (now the Princess of Wales).
3) Being the first para athlete to compete in the BUCS relay in 2022
How you got into your sport: I got into athletics through the encouragement of my teachers in secondary school as I would often represent my school at district and county competitions, winning medals without doing any training. It was suggested by my teachers that I should start training and they helped me find a club. After having my first competition, I found out I was ranked 17th in the world and that kickstarted my career.
Your proudest moment in sport: My proudest moment is definitely winning gold in Birmingham 2022 because it was my first time representing England and I had around 15-20 family members travel from London to watch me and I made them proud.
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: My favourite moment in sporting history is the 2012 4x100 relay final where Jamaica broke the world record.
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: My most inspiring sporting hero is Usain Bolt, simply because of the way he changed the sport. His character, enthusiasm, and entertainment really changed the standard of track and field and I hope to have a similar effect in the Paralympics.
Felicity (Fliss) Pickard
Name: Felicity (Fliss) Pickard
Sport: Para table tennis
Length of career: 10 years
Top 3 accolades:
1) World doubles champion
2) World singles bronze medallist
3) Best world ranking 3 in the world
How you got into your sport: I had always tried many sports but during my teen years I started volunteering with special needs children whilst volunteering at my local sports centre. I tried table tennis. When I was there the disability officer for my region was there and asked me if I wanted to try table tennis.
Your proudest moment in sport: My proudest moment is winning the world bronze medal in 2018 singles, having come into the Championships as a wild card.
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: Super Saturday at London 2012 Olympics Athletics
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: My sporting hero is Rafael Nadal.
