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30/08/2024 00:00, In Blog / Track & Field /

Sabrina Fortune is a force to be reckoned with, winning title after title in her own dignified way. She is now the world's leading women's F20 shot putter having won the world title three times.

Paris will be her 3rd Paralympic Games after claiming bronze in Rio 2016 and finishing 5th in Tokyo 2020, she now has her eyes firmly set on the podium and hopes to bring home the gold.

Outside of Athletics, Sabrina has multiple hobbies and hidden talents. We caught up with her ahead of the Paralympics:

What is your first athletics memory and how did you get into the sport?

My first memory is of going to my very first competition and how scared I was. As someone with a learning disability new things are the worst. I didn't know many people which made it a lot worse. I barely left my mums side and barely went to many people. There I hit 5 m 91.

 

Although one my happest memorys was meeting Adele Nicholl who at the time I trained with. She was my rival but also one my best friends in sport. Eveytime we got to compete together it was incredible. Now I compete in the Paralympics and she competes in winter Olympics. I still love being able spend time with her at competitions.

 

I got into sport by my older brother. When I was younger my brother was doing rugby and athletics and he would travel every weekend to go and compete. I watched him for years before getting bored in the backseat of the car not being able to join in the fun. Later on I decided that I wanted to follow in my brother footsteps and have a go at shot put and discus.

 

I trained with him and my coach John Parkin who was my very first coach. I loved being able go with my brother to competitions.

Sabrina being presented with a gold medal at one of her very first competitions.

Do you have an athletics hero you are inspired by?

I have multiple athletic heros /idols that have inspired me:

 

My Brother.

My brother was always my sport hero and idol. I looked up to him alot as he was my world at the time. I felt like he could do anything and to this day it pushed me to become the best I can do.When I was little he always was the reason I wanted personal bests. To stand by his side once he left I still wanted to make him proud.

 

Beverley Jones

She was somone i had trained with as a very young athlete and had shown me what paralympics really meant and what you can achieve. She had shown me one of her paralympics medals that had started my desire to get further and further in my sport.

 

Hannah Cockcroft

Since joining the paralympic team I have always looked up to Hannah as my idol. She always does eveything with an incredible smile that made you want to do the same. She had made the team less scary. I have always wanted to be the same as her in regards to how confident she is and how well she has done. I always wanted to make her proud too.

 

Adele Nicholl 

Since young age I have looked up to Adele. She has always been such a hard worker and its somthing I truely admire. She pushed and pushed to get what she wanted it has always pushed me to do the same. I also admire her for getting into winter Olympics and I know it won't be long untill she can throw shot in the Olympics. I believe in eveything she does. We been have been friends for a long time. I still have a picture of us both on the podium together when we were a lot younger.

Sabrina's hero and friend Adele Nicoll.

What is your favourite part about being in an event village or prep camp?

The best thing about the prep camp is the feeling of excitement in the air and being able to enjoy the nights with friends. Its an incredible feeling being able to just enjoy the evening with laughter. 

 

My favorite part of the villiage is the apartments and being able be with other athletes and seeing them after training and competition and being able to support them. I also love and enjoy meeting new athletes from different sports and learning about who they are and what they enjoy. Even meeting new countrys making friends. The environment is so crazy but lovely its like a big family.

Do you have a pre-race ritual you do before you compete?

My ritual has always been headphones on with some 80s songs ACDC and few others before putting on some other more sporting songs. After that is stretching and getting into the zone but if there music there in the stadium then I would enjoy the music and have a couple of laugh here and there with coaches and teammates.

What is the one meal you look forward to after competing?

One meal I look froward to each time is Pizza. Even as an athlete it's one of my favourite foods. 

Who is the first person you message after you have competed?

Most times first I message will always either be my mum or any family members not there. My mum has been one for last few years she has supported me to get where I am and honestly without that support I don't know where I be without her. I love seeing and talking to her after competition whether on phone or in person she always be first one I would talk to including my dad.

Do you have any hobbies outside of athletics?

I have few differnt types of hobbies!

 

I love art /animation ( 3d/2d)

 

Art was always something I loved since a young age. I adored doing it in gcse but never got around to it in college. Then I found passion 3d models and animations on blender. I'v been doing it for about neally 2 years. With my disability I can pick up somethings faster than others. Computers and 3d was always somthing I've picked up pretty quickly.

 

I stuggle doing more than 1 job or task at once and it takes me a while to create storyboard or ideas for animation which can be hard. I have always wanted to work in disney or animation studio. I would love to work on movie or animated show. To be able to see my name would be incredible. So when I leave my sport I would look at animation in the future.

 

I love cooking/ baking

I love being able to cook what I like. It was something I learnt in college but found I enjoyed the baking side. I fell in love with baking and cake designing. Being able to bring anything to life and being able to eat it was somthing I loved. I fell in love with sugarcrafting where I meet my two best friends. I made many things from sugar flowers to decorations for cakes. Some of my best cakes have been groot from guardian of galaxy and wallace and gromit on moon with toy story aliens. I love creating things for people.

 

I love being able to code and create things.

 

Website design and coding are something recent I picked up but really enjoy. At the moment i'm in the middle of designing my own website and portfolios 

One of Sabrina's incredible bakes!

Do you have a message to inspire the next generation of athletes?

Do not let anyone tell you that you cannot do something. You can be whatever you want as long as you try you hardest and you put the effort in and if it fails stand up and try again. As long you keep trying you will be the greatest whether its in your own life or in the world.

 

The only person that can stop you from being the best is your own mind. Remember you can be and do whatever you want in sports and in life as long as you believe in yourself. 

 

Disability doesn't mean you cannot do something. It might make it harder, but it makes the journey so much more sweeter when you achieve what you believe is possible.

Sabrina celebrating setting a new world record in Kobe at the 2024 Para Athletics World Championships.

Are there any other facts you would love to share?

I came second in welsh sports awards to Alan Wynne Jones in 2019.

 

I was also ambassador for My Sport My Voice.

 

Something interesting when I was very young, I was unable talk for quite a while as a child and would simple just point to things. I Had to do speech therapy to even be able to talk today which was massive struggle with my learning disability. Today to be able to do my sport and even being able do interviews and standing Infront of people is big achievement and something I'm truly proud of.

We wish Sabrina a huge good luck at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games!