Portsmouth athlete Craig Boardman (17) has struck gold at his first International GP event, bringing home three medals.
Last month Craig, embarked on his first International GP event in Dubai, and took the world by storm winning gold in the men’s 100m and 200m Wheelchair T34, whilst also taking silver in the 400m Wheelchair T34 event.
Craig regularly trains at Mountbatten Leisure Centre and we recently met up with him to learn more about his journey so far and what keeps him motivated.
“When I was six years old I was run over. I had at that time gained a scholarship at Middlesbrough Football Club but due to my injury the chances of becoming a footballer were shattered. The first two years after the accident I hardly used my wheelchair unless I was going out for long periods of time with my family. Then, as I started to grow I found my legs would become sore so used my chair more often.
“As a result, over the course of the next ten years I tried a variety of sports including sledge hockey, wheelchair basketball and horse riding. None of these seemed to use up the physical energy that I had. Then I saw an opportunity for disabled children to get involved with athletics. I enjoyed being outdoors so the family drove to London to the Weir Archer Academy in Kingston. It was there that I met with Jenny Archer and David Weir, a multi gold medalist Paralympian himself, who encouraged me to try Wheelchair Racing. After the taster session Jenny asked my parents where I was currently training, they explained that I had never been in one of these chairs before but she insisted I was a natural.
“After that Saturday afternoon in 2015, my parents decided they would continue to take me to train on one of the ‘loan’ chairs, before buying my own chair after six months.
“Having endured the long journey to London three times a week, I looked for a club which was a bit closer to home. I discovered Portsmouth Athletics Club, which had a coach who taught the sport and I would be his only athlete. This meant intense 1 to 1 coaching and every Monday and Thursday.
“Having trained hard at my local track at Mountbatten Leisure Centre, I undertook my first official race on 29 May 2016, which was the Vitality Westminster Mile. I set a new record of 4 mins and 13 seconds, which is to this date still yet to be beaten.
“I have since participated in events across the country and have improved at every race getting new personal bests (PB).
“The highlight of my racing came in Dubai from 20-23 March this year. Having gone over to the World Para-Athletics Championships to get internationally classified, the team and I knew that the other racers were going to be of a world class standard. The first race was the 200m, in which I was up against, amongst others, Mohamed Hammadi, the favorite to sweep the board in Dubai. Not having huge expectations I entered and won the race with another PB and a gold medal, which was presented by the King of UAE.
“My second race was the 400m and again I was up against some serious competition. This time I came second to Kuwait’s Hamad Aladwani who was 27 years my senior.
“My last race was the 100m and to complete this triumph I gained another PB and claimed a further gold medal.
“To make an already special championships even more memorable, on the last day in Dubai Paula Dunn, former Olympic Champion and Head Coach for Team GB approached my team. Having congratulated me on my success, Paula offered me a place on the team, which will mean a lot more training and a lot more racing. It will also kick-start my preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, which start this season at the London Marathon on 23 April.”
We asked Craig why he enjoys wheelchair racing so much and he said,
“It is great for keeping your body strong, fit and healthy. I love the adrenaline of racing, especially when you hear the crowd.”
On his fantastic achievements, Craig’s coach Paul Smith commented
“When Craig joined me in January 2016 he had only one race under his belt, 400m. As a coach it was good to see that he had already tried different sports and even better to that he decided that wheelchair racing was the sport for him. Craig has overcome a lot in his life to date and to see him achieve at a high level of competition is a testament to him and I am very proud to be coaching him.”
We wish Craig every success for the future and hope his journey will inspire others to find the sport for them!
If you would like further information about Portsmouth athletics club please visit: portsmouthathletic.co.uk/contact_us
Craig and his family are also looking for sponsorship from any companies that would be willing to help with the general maintenance costs for Craig’s chair, which currently stand at around £1,500 a year. For further information about this please contact Kelly Boardman on 07754 463196.
Photo caption: Nate Williams (2), Craig Boardman (1) and Jamie Edwards (3) also from GB.