Sarah Storey wins 20th career gold at 2012 London Paralympics

Sarah Storey’s entire life can be taken be summed up in three simple words, “Impossible is nothing”.

From being born without the use of her left hand as well as forced to give up swimming by an ear infection, to today winning her 20th career gold medal at the 2012 London Paralympics, her story is a reflection of her perseverance, dedication and patience to beat human odds – and that too in a span of two decades starting out as a swimmer in her first paralympics in 1992.

Having broken her own 72nd world record, you cannot escape the feeling when a cyclist with just one leg and one arm is speeding around the track with an awe of splendour.

“I don’t think any athlete ever goes into believing they’re going to become the greatest of anything. Ultimately, we’ve got so many phenomenal athletes within this team, I’m in very good company and I can’t wait for other British gold medallists to appear”, said Sarah Storey.

Defending her title against other athletes with similar disabilities, she covered 3,000 m in 3 minutes 32.170 secs, being 16 seconds faster than any opponent.

“The support of the huge crowd was anything unlike I’ve ever experienced in five previous Paralympics”, said Sarah Storey.

Comparing her classifications against able bodied athletes in national championships like the commonwealth games, her credentials can be compared to that of a land mark athlete.

Her husband Barney is also a cyclist, who rides as a sighted guide for visually impaired Paralympic riders. He won two golds in Beijing, in the men’s 1km time trial and the men’s sprint.

When asked about her future plans to complete in the 2012 Rio Olympics, she says

“I don’t intend to retire after these games, so you never know what will happen in Rio”, said Sarah Storey.

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