Former Get Kids Going! supported athlete Jordanne Whiley made history at the Tokyo Paralympics to become the first British wheelchair tennis player to win a women’s singles medal at a Paralympic Games. Get Kids Going! gave Jordanne one of her first tennis wheelchairs and naturally we were delighted with her historic win.
“It’s such an amazing achievement for me, this is the happiest I’ve ever been in my life,” said Jordanne.
“I just said to myself at the end: ‘I did it.’ Obviously it’s not gold, but for me, this feels like gold.”
Jordanne received a bronze medal after a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win over the Netherlands’ Aniek van Koot.
“I’ve never done this before and given everything that’s happened in the last two years, came back, had a baby and struggled with getting back to fitness.
“Before I had Jackson, I was injured 24/7 and to get my body in a state where it can compete at the top level, I’m really proud of myself.
“I was using my reserve tank, everything emotionally. I’ve never been on a singles podium and that was a really nerve-wracking experience. It’s such an amazing achievement for me personally.”
Jordanne also achieved two bronze medals alongside Lucy Shuker but now has an individual bronze medal to go alongside her doubles success. This is her first games since giving birth to son Jackson.
Jordanne has confirmed this will be her last Paralympic Games, and she reflected on her previous Paralympics.
“I was very young and inexperienced in Beijing and this is a completely different turn of events,” said Jordanne.
“I’m proud of where we’ve come from. I was in a bad place in Rio which in turn made the partnership not great.
“To come from that to a place now where we’re on the podium and wanting it so badly for each other, I’m really pleased.
“We’re now the strongest we’ve ever been, this was our Games. We didn’t come away with gold but we’ve made a lot of improvements if I looked back five years ago.”
The Queen has sent a message congratulating the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Paralympic team and all Commonwealth athletes the Tokyo Paralympics came to an end.
Her Majesty commended the “commitment, dedication and adaptability” shown by the athletes throughout the last two weeks. Great Britain ended the Games in second place on the medal table, with 124 medals including 41 golds.
We would like to congratulate all of our Get Kids Going! supported athletes and previous supported athletes for their amazing achievements. Check out our Paralympics news page for the results and look out for more updates as the athletes reflect on their performances now that are home.