The chance of another “normal” Paralympics with fans, plus having her children watching again, was a major factor in Sarah Storey returning for a remarkable ninth Games.
Storey is the most successful and decorated British Paralympian of all time, with 28 medals including 17 golds in swimming and cycling. No active Paralympian in any sport has won more.
After first competing at the Barcelona Paralympics in 1992, the 46-year-old is on the hunt for two more golds in road cycling at Paris 2024 – she currently has 12 on two wheels.
And while the build-up to these Games has been trickier than most, Storey has been pushed on by several factors – including the desire to not have her final Games played out in front of zero spectators.
The last Paralympics, in Tokyo, took place amid stringent restrictions because of the Covid-19 pandemic. After a vibrant Paris Olympics at which fans were able to return, she is looking forward to a similar atmosphere at the Paralympics.
Among the spectators will be her children, 10-year-old Louisa and six-year-old Charlie – and Storey says she has been spurred on by competing in a Games which she hopes both will remember when they are older.
"When we made the decision after Tokyo that I would carry on, there was no guarantee that we would not still be in some form of lockdown,” she told BBC Breakfast's Joe Lynskey.
“But the chance to have a normal Games with supporters, fans, children on the roadside, the chance to experience that atmosphere, was too good to turn down.
“Charlie has never experienced a Games - hopefully he and Louisa will remember this."
The only person to win five Paralympic gold medals as a teenager, Storey has faced countless challenges in her career – but even for her, this Paralympic cycle has been tough.
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