The amazing Johnnie Peacock
Disaster struck Johnnie Peacock when he was 5. He contracted meningitis and the terrible illness resulted in his right leg had to be amputated to save his life. It meant that for the rest of it he would have to use Mobility Aids. However this was not going to stop the young Johnnie from living his life and going onto achieve greatness.
It was Johnny’s dream to play football. However rather than being told he couldn’t he was steered toward the Paralympics and the options for athletics that disabled athletes can compete in. This suited the young man and he soon began to take up sprinting. It was clear that he was going to be something special when he set a new world record at the World Championships, which was to stand for a year, in 2012. This was good preparation for the Paralympics that were being held in London that year.
The glory of Gold was to be his in 2012 setting an paralympic record over 100 metre and he was to successfully defend this title four years later in Rio in 2016. As if these wasn’t enough he decided that he would give ballroom dancing a good. He had a fantastic partner in Oti Mabuse and he was the eighth to go, so at least he got to Blackpool.
Now with an MBE he is due to try again to defend his title in the delayed 2020 Paralympics in Japan in 2021.
