Channel 4 look at the ‘Paralympic Path To Paris’

Path To Paris: Paralympic Dream  is the second of a two-part series, supported by The National Lottery, following British athletes as they prepare for the most prestigious event in sport…

With intimate access to their training and home lives, Channel 4 see how the athletes, supported by coaches and family and friends have invested everything to get to the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics Games this summer.

With unique insights into the mental and physical preparations, we share in every triumph and setback on the ‘Path To Paris’.  Featured athletes include Keely Hodgkinson, Josh Kerr, Jonnie Peacock and Hannah Cockroft.

The episode, Path To Paris: Paralympic Dream,  features Long Jumper Zak Skinner, Wheelchair racers Hannah Cockroft and Nathan Maguire, sprinter Jonnie Peacock, as well as shot put and discus thrower Funmi Oduwaiye.

With access to their coaching teams and day-to-day training programmes, we follow the para-athletes as they navigate the stresses of life as a top-level performer preparing for the most important moment of their careers.  Viewers will be introduced to the high-performance support environment, and glean a unique insight into the mentality and physicality of an elite para athlete fighting to represent their country and prove to the world that they’re more than their disability.

The programme sees how Zak Skinner, who was born blind, navigates his jump when he can see the board from no more than 2 meters away, before injuring himself in the run up to a national competition in Manchester. Seven-time paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft and her fiancé – British racer Nathan Maguire- wrestle with their intense training schedules and their upcoming wedding plans. The couple travel to Kobe, Japan for the World Championships, as Hannah looks for more gold and Nathan attempts to secure his selection for Paris.

2024 Paralympics could be golden boy Jonnie Peacock’s big comeback, as he tries to overcome the disappointment of Toyko 2020 when problems with his blade resulted in a bronze medal. He’s back in the best shape of his life, but can he block out the self-doubt and outside pressures and focus on gold?

Two years after suffering life changing damage to her leg, Funmi Oduwaiye finds herself looking to qualify for one of the world’s greatest sporting events, the Paralympics. We follow the Discuss and Shot-Put thrower’s path to Paris as she navigates her new sport, countless hospital appointments and also new found fame. But will an on-going back injury cost her a place in the British Paralympic team in Paris?

The documentary, supported by The National Lottery, will also feature para-athletic legends Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, Aled Davies, Danny Crates and Stefanie Reid revealing their Paralympic journey and what it will take for this year’s athletes to succeed.

Path To Paris: Paralympic Dream –  Sunday 25 August, 4.55pm (repeated Tuesday 27 August at 10pm) on Channel 4