‘A great celebration of sport’ at National Championships

Two days of thrilling competition showcased exceptional talent across a range of track and field events this weekend. From Paralympians to 8-year olds competing for the very first time, the National Junior Para Athletics Championships gave everyone the opportunity to compete.

The annual event, held this year at Coventry Athletics Track, welcomed some adults as part of an initiative to create more opportunities for all disabled people to compete.

Team from across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland were present. Bradford Keighley and Skipton Disability Athletics club brought the biggest team ever in their history. From entering four athletes in 2019, their club has gone from strength to strength, with 28 representatives on the starting list this time around.

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It was also a record year for Irish entrants. 16 travelled to the competition led by coaches John McCarthy and Jean O'Sullivan. Jean said:

“We come every year to make sure our athletes have the opportunity. It is about the athletics, but it’s not. It’s about them being her and the friendships they make.”

“Getting here is win number one. Win number two is getting them onto the start line, and win number three is the smiles.”

 Activity Alliance hosts the event, with England Athletics, to ensure that disabled athletes have the opportunity to experience top-class competition. “We were thrilled to once again welcome athletes from across the UK for a fantastic event,” said Activity Alliance CEO Adam Blaze.

“Having seen the action first hand, it shows exactly why accessible and inclusive opportunities are so important. The energy across both days was amazing. We celebrated not just those that won a medal, but everyone for taking part.

“We all should feel we belong in sports and activities, and the joy that was on show this weekend highlights exactly why we have to continue to break down barriers disabled people face when trying to be active.”

ParalympicsGB star Kare Adenegen was back racing on track for the first time since the Paris Paralympic Games. The five-time silver medallist was full of praise for all those that took part.

“Its really great to see the talent that’s coming through, it’s good to be able to encourage them and cheer them on,” she said.

“That’s what I really like about this event, it brings together those that have been around quite a while but also those that are coming through. It’s a great celebration of sport.”

The Coventry racer picked up three gold medals in the 100m, 400m and 800m.

“Sadly, there’s not enough races for para-sport, so it’s really important to have an event on a good track , and also to have a variety of events for a variety of classifications. It’s an important part of the calendar for a lot of us.”

One young competitor that Kare was cheering on was Paris, 11, who raced at a major event for the very first time. “I was very nervous at first,” she said.

“Then when I did my first race, I got the hang of it. My teammate gave me a pep talk, she said ‘don’t give up, you’ve got this’.

Jaeda, Paris’ mum, described the whole event as ‘amazing’:

“Every time I come to something like this I just have my mind blown. It makes you realise why sport is so important”.

“I have noticed a confidence boost in her (Paris), she’s got a lot more self-belief now. She’s just won her first race and I can see that she’s realising, ‘do you know what, this is something that I can achieve’.

Results

National Junior Para Athletics Championships 2025 - Track Results

National Junior Para Athletics Championships 2025 - Field Results