Reflecting on President Trump’s first 100 days in office
The ParalympicsGB 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 55 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 2025
This is our eighth year supporting para athletes with a bursary. The 2025 bursary will provide financial support to para athletes.
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:
William Bayley MBE
Name: William Bayley MBE
Sport: Table tennis
Length of career: 20 years
Top 3 accolades:
1) Paralympic Gold
2) World champ
How you got into your sport: I got in to table tennis playing in Great Ormond Street Hospital recovering from cancer.
Your proudest moment in sport: Proudest moment in sport was winning gold in Rio 2016 and World Championships in Spain 2022.
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: When Kelly Holmes won two golds in one Games.
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: Mum was most inspiring having the same disability to me.
Follow my journey: Instagram & Twitter - @willbayleytt
Sophie Carrigill
Name: Sophie Carrigill
Sport: Wheelchair basketball
Length of career: 12 years
Top 3 accolades:
1) Competed in three Paralympic Games: Rio, Tokyo, Paris
2) Played in the Italian League for two years and won many titles
3) Masters in Sports Psychology
How you got into your sport: I was involved in a car accident when I was 16. I was very sporty before that so it made sense after my recovery to try a disability sport. I was very lucky that a wheelchair basketball club was around the corner from my house and I started training with them and quickly became obsessed!
Your proudest moment in sport: Competing in my first Paralympics in Rio with all my family in the crowd.
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: I remember watching Jonny Wilkinson make the drop kick in the Rugby World Cup final. That moment is etched in my memory as a real moment that I decided I wanted to take sport seriously. I was nine at the time!
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: I always say Serena Williams. I think she is an incredible woman and athlete. She represents so much that I love about being both of those things. She is fierce, determined, so successful, and an incredible advocate for women at the top of their careers.
Follow my journey: Instagram & Twitter - @sophcaz
Karim Chan
Name: Karim Chan
Sport: Para athletics
Length of career: 11 years
Top 3 accolades:
1) DSE National Athlete Championship 2015 Shield Winner
2) World Para Junior Championship 2017 and 2019
3) Paralympic Games 2024
How you got into your sport: I got into sport at school and by watching the London 2012 Olympic Games. I was inspired by watching it and wanted to be like them and wanted to compete at elite level.
Your proudest moment in sport: Paralympic Games 2024, representing Great Britain
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: Jumping 6m 70
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: Greg Ruderford and Usain Bolt
Follow my journey: Instagram - karimchan23
Eliza Humphrey
Name: Eliza Humphrey
Sport: Para swimming
Length of career: I attended my first competition in 2015, and was selected for the British Swimming World Class programme in 2022.
Top 3 accolades:
1) Competing at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, racing in the Women's S11 400m Freestyle and Women's SM11 200m Individual Medley.
2) Winning two bronze medals at the 2024 Para-swimming Open European Championships, winning medals in the S11 400m Freestyle and SM11 200m Individual Medley.
3) Competing at the 2022 World Para-swimming Championships in Madeira, racing in five events.
How you got into your sport: My parents wanted me to be safe around water, so I attended learn to swim lessons at our local leisure centre. After attending the 2015 British Blind Sports Youth Swimming Gala, we were then signposted to Northampton Swimming Club. From there, I progressed through their swimming squads and improving my times, making my international debut in 2022 at the Para-swimming World Championships.
Your proudest moment in sport: Winning my first international medal at the 2024 Para-swimming European Championships, sharing the podium with one of my role models, Liesette Bruinsma. Also, achieving the nomination time in the 400m freestyle at the Aquatics GB Championships, which then qualified me for the Paralympics in Paris.
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: My iconic moment in sporting history is the 2019 Cricket World Cup final between England and New Zealand as it showed how close sporting matches can be and the tension of sport throughout the entire game. I am an avid cricket fan, and having a final go down to the last ball without being certain who would win was an amazing occasion.
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: Liesette Bruinsma and Mary Fisher, both S11 para-swimmers who are multiple world record holders and Paralympic champions.
Follow my journey: Instagram - @humphrey_sisters & Twitter - @elizah_swim
Scarlett Humphrey
Name: Scarlett Humphrey
Sport: Para swimming
Length of career: I competed in my first swimming competition in 2015 and was selected for the British Swimming World Class programme in 2022.
Top 3 accolades:
1) Competing at the Paris Paralympic Games. I competed in four individual events and one relay, placing between 4th-7th in the finals
2) Competing at the 2023 Para swimming World Championships in Manchester, where I competed in seven events, placing between 4th-8th.
3) Competing at the 2022 Para swimming World Championships in Madeira, where I competed in eight events, placing between 3rd-9th
How you got into your sport: My parents took me to learn to swim lessons so I could be safe around water. In 2015 I competed at the British Blind Sports Youth Swimming Gala where I was signposted to Northampton Swimming Club. From here, I progressed from their learn-to-swim programme and through their competitive swimming squads, and in 2022 I made my international debut.
Your proudest moment in sport: Walking out to a crowd of 15,000 people in my first final at the Paralympic Games, with friends and family who have been on my journey watching both in the arena and at home.
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: My iconic sporting moment was the 2018 Paraswimming European Championships in Dublin as it was the first time I had watched S11 athletes race, and was the first swimming competition I remember following. It showed me what totally blind athletes were able to achieve in the pool as well as in life. It was a huge inspiration for me.
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: Multiple World Record holder and Paralympic champion Liesette Bruinsma, as she was the first S11 swimmer I watched compete and she showed what blind swimmers were able to achieve.
Follow my journey: Twitter -@scarletth_swim; Instagram - @humphrey_sisters
Sally Kidson
Name: Sally Kidson
Sport: Boccia
Length of career: Two and a half years
Top 3 accolades:
1) Paris 2024 Paralympian
2)4th place individually at 2024 Póvoa de Varzim World Boccia Cup
3) 1st place at 2024 Coimbra World Boccia Paralympic Qualification Tournament
How you got into your sport: I got into boccia through my secondary school as part of the PE curriculum. In 2019 I attended my first Boccia England competition and everything snowballed from there!
Your proudest moment in sport: Qualifying for the Paris 2024 Paralympics and winning my first match at a Paralympics. My qualification was very uncertain and so to go into the qualification tournament as one of the bottom sides and come out with a gold medal despite losing two pool matches in the process was something amazing. My first game in Paris was against the (at the time) world number 3, and I had lost heavily in a match with her at a tournament just over a month prior. And so, to be able to put all that aside and win the match on the biggest stage was a great moment for sure.
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: England Lionesses winning the 2022 Euros.
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: Simone Biles
Follow my journey: Instagram - @sallykidsonbc3
Evan Molloy
Name: Evan Molloy
Sport: Para Judo
Length of career: 9 years
Top 3 accolades:
1) Current world number one
2) European Championships bronze medalist
3) Grand Prix gold medalist
How you got into your sport: Started judo at the age of 13 and decided judo was a good sport to get fitter and learn to defend myself. After competing in mainstream competitions for a couple of years, thanks to someone at my club, I was introduced to Para judo in 2014.
Your proudest moment in sport: The moment I got to call my family and tell them that I have officially qualified for my first Paralympic Games, a moment I will never forget.
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: I would have to say how London 2012 had such a massive impact on Paralympic sport in Britain and how it helped create more opportunities for people like myself to find Para sport and find out what they are capable of.
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: Christopher Skelley MBE
Follow my journey: Instagram - @evanmolloy; Facebook - Evan Molloy; LinkedIn - Evan Molloy
Hannah Moore
Name: Hannah Moore
Sport: Paratriathlon
Length of career: 8 years
Top 3 accolades:
1) Paris 2024 Paralympic Bronze medalist
2) 2019 World Champion
3) 2018 World Champion
How you got into your sport: I got into triathlon after having my leg amputated below the knee in 2016. Prior to my amputation I met some people who had done paratriathlon and I really wanted to give it a go but I couldn’t at the time due to my leg. I wanted to set myself some challenges of things I wanted to achieve after my amputation and along with learning to walk again was to do my first triathlon. I did my first triathlon 10 months after my amputation and have never looked back.
Your proudest moment in sport: Definitely winning bronze at the Paralympic Games. It was the culmination of many years of hard work and adversity. After my classification was not a medal event in Tokyo, I had nearly 4 years out of the sport due to injury and illness so to be able to come back and even qualify for the Games was a major achievement for me and to medal makes me feel so proud.
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: Mark Cavendish winning his 35th Tour de France stage.
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: Eliud Kipchoge breaking two hours for the marathon in 2019. His quote afterwards “I want to inspire many people, that no human is limited” really resonated with me.
Follow my journey: Facebook - hannahmooretri; Instagram - @hannah_mooretri
Ben Sandilands
Name: Ben Sandilands
Sport: Para athletics
Length of career: From age nine (12 years with Fife Athletic Club)
Top 3 accolades:
1) 2024 Paralympic T20 1500m gold medalist (world record)
2) 2023 Para World Athletics Championships T20 1500m gold medalist
3) Winning the Scottish National Men’s 1500m title in 2022
How you got into your sport: I competed in the Fife Athletic Club Boxing Day run around my local park when I was nine and a half years old and I was asked by a club member to join.
Your proudest moment in sport: Winning Paralympic Gold in a new world record.
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: Andy Murray winning Wimbledon.
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: Josh Kerr
Follow my journey: Instagram - @bensandilandsrun
Nina Sparks
Name: Nina Sparks
Sport: Para snowboard
Length of career: Three seasons
Top 3 accolades:
1) I gained my first two World Cup Podiums (one in Banked Slalom and one in Snowboard Cross in the 2023/2024 winter season
2) I medalled at the 2023 World Championships (silver in Banked Slalom, Bronze in Snowboard Cross)
3) I won the Overall Europa Cup trophy for Winter 2022/2023
How you got into your sport: I learnt to snowboard on the dry slope in my town when I was 13 then carried it on through my teenage years into adulthood. I was working for a ski race academy as a house parent when I got diagnosed with MS, but didn't give up and carried on snowboarding.
Your proudest moment in sport: Getting my first two World Cup Podiums, and being on the podium wiith the two women who inspired me to pusue Para-Snowboarding (Brenna Huckaby USA, and Cecile Hernandez France).
Favourite / iconic moment in sporting History: Being in the Olympic Park as a Games Maker on Super Saturday at London 2012.
Your most inspiring sporting hero / figure: Mikaela Shiffrin (Alpine skier for the USA)
Follow my journey: Instagram - @snowyoda_gb; Facebook - Nina Sparks GB Para-Snowboard
