Paralympics: Uttoxeter wheelchair racer sets sights on 2028 games

A 19-year-old gymnast says she hopes to compete as a wheelchair racer in the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles.

Hannah Louise from Uttoxeter is the British champion in disability acrobatic gymnastics, but injuries have forced her to take time out.

She has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), which means she has hypermobile joints.

Paralympian Mickey Bushell is her coach, and she said she had found wheelchair racing to be an inclusive sport.

She started racing in June, when she wanted to be included in her school's sports day and needed to find a chair she could compete in.

She contacted 2012 gold medallist Mr Bushell to ask if she could borrow one.

Paralympian Mickey Bushell (left) coaches Ms Louise which she said was "amazing"

"Then I decided to sign up for his wheelchair academy, which is eight weeks of learning to go up kerbs, do wheelies, how to carry things, as well as pushing yourself in your chair.

"But then I started racing with Mickey, got me a chair sorted, and now I'm here - training every week. My goal is to get to the Paralympics in 2028."

She said she enjoyed the sport and found it was better for her body while sharing similar experiences with other athletes. She plans to stop gymnastics all together at the end of the year.

"The gymnastics is quite risky with my EDS, with the acrobatics you're with a partner so you're having to hold their body weight, whereas racing, it's just you," she said.

'Quite cool'

Being coached by Mr Bushell, who has used a wheelchair for 30 years, was "amazing", she said.

"He does a really good job, I'm really grateful for him. It's quite cool because he's been there, he's done it," she added.

Mr Bushell said there were now more sporting opportunities for people with disabilities, and it was a case of scouting them out.

Ms Louise will enter classification in March, when she will learn if she is eligible to compete and if successful, start working towards selection for the Paralympics.