Expectations are high for Emma Wiggs as she will have to wait until the final weekend of the Paris 2024 Paralympics for her chance at a podium finish.
The British paracanoeist was a little teary-eyed in relief after successfully defending her Paralympic Vaa (VL2) title.
Wiggs held on to her gold medal tightly and the next day her efforts paid off when she won silver in the kayaking (KL2) event, just like she did in Tokyo three years ago.
She has now returned to her village near Nottingham and lives with her wife Jem, who has been in Paris with friends and family as a keen supporter and member of Paralympics GB staff.
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This week the couple celebrates their ninth wedding anniversary.
Emma marked the occasion on Instagram with a touching tribute to “the love of my life”, who continues to be a huge inspiration to her.
“Without you, I would never have made it to Paris. I would have known that no matter what happened, you would be there at the finish line, and I would have been able to row fearlessly through the race.” Emma wrote.
“Seeing you perform at ParalympicsGB and shining at Paris 2024 has exceeded my wildest dreams.”
She added: “The gold and silver medals are yours.”
The two women met at the start of Emma’s elite parasport journey – she played sitting volleyball whilst working as a PE teacher and competed for the first time at the London 2012 Paralympics – while Jem was working in events for Volleyball England at the time.
Up until then, Emma had prioritised a career as a teacher. At the age of 18, while taking a gap year in Australia, her life unexpectedly changed when she contracted a virus and suffered irreversible nerve damage in her leg.
Emma’s relationship with Jem has also been a journey of discovery: in her 30s and looking forward to the Paralympics in her home country, she never thought she’d end up in a same-sex relationship.
After the London Games she switched to paracanoe and enjoyed immediate success, winning her first European and World titles in 2013.
Emma was a full-time athlete and four-time world champion when she married Jem in September 2015, just 18 months after same-sex marriage came into force in the UK.
At the Rio 2016 Games, Emma won KL2’s first Paralympic gold medal and, a few months later, was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to canoeing.
A popular motivational speaker and mentor, she uses her platform as an athlete to advocate for LGBTQ inclusion and empowerment in sports. human rightsFor example, around the time of the FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
Emma was one of 19 LGBTQ team athletes who won a medal at the Paris Paralympics, and has vowed to continue through to the 2028 Los Angeles Games, when she will be 48.
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“Age doesn’t matter. Age is just a number and I can still compete with the fastest girls in the world. Why would I stop? LA is a great place,” she said. i Paper.
Because of her passion for sports, she is often unable to spend her wedding anniversaries with Jem.
“We’ve been together for almost three years now actually and I’ve never felt more in love with you,” Emma wrote on Instagram.
The beauty of their bond serves as a reminder of the importance of visibility and hopefully gives other LGBTQ athletes the confidence to follow their hearts and dreams.
“You amaze me, make me proud and complete me,” Emma added in her message to Jem. “All we have achieved is because of you and our love.”
Source: Outsports – www.outsports.com
