Paralympic star Libby Clegg ready to turn cheerleader for brother at Paris 2024

Clegg won two Paralympic golds on the athletics track but her brother will be looking to break records in the swimming pool this summer

Libby Clegg is the official ambassador of The Kennel Club Hero Dog Award for Crufts 2024 (BeatMedia/Kennel Club)

Sprinter, track cyclist and now cheerleader – Paris 2024 will be a Paralympic Games like no other for Libby Clegg.

Following retirement, the 33-year-old will be in Paris but as a passionate supporter of brother Stephen, who became the first para swimmer in his class to break 28 seconds in the men’s 50m backstroke last year.

Clegg’s middle sibling James, who won bronze in the pool at London 2012, will also head to the British Swimming Championships in April with the hope of punching his ticket to the French capital.

The double Paralympic champion always knew Tokyo 2020 would be her last time on the Paralympic track – winning silver in the mixed 4x100m relay – and is instead embracing her new status on the sidelines.

Clegg, speaking with six months to go until the Paralympics get underway, said: “Paris is going to be incredible, I’m biased because my brother is going to be there and I’ve got loads of friends going.

“Stephen is definitely aiming for gold in Paris, he broke the world record last year and he’s in really good shape. He was so disappointed in Tokyo, he felt like he lost the gold and didn’t win a silver, I know how that feels because that’s exactly how I felt with my silver in London.

“I know he’s really hungry for it so I’ve got high hopes for him this year. Even though I’m not physically training myself, I feel like I’m still part of the cycle because I’m keeping up to date with everyone.

“I’m looking forward to being a supporter and a cheerleader this time. I’m like the mum now, everyone calls me when they’ve got a problem.”

Libby Clegg was part of ParalympicsGB’s silver-medal winning 4x100m mixed relay team at Tokyo 2020 (Getty Images)

Clegg tried her hand at track cycling post-Tokyo, competing for Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games and winning a world title.

It was the final chapter in an epic sporting career that reached its nadir in a bout of depression during the run-up to Rio 2016.

Cuts to funding, a change of guide runners and injury contributed to a concoction of adversity for Clegg but that did not stop her from romping to T11 100m and 200m gold.

Guide dog Hatti was her biggest source of support in that turbulent period and now, with four Paralympics under her belt, Clegg hopes her legacy will shine for generations to come.

“Rio 2016 was one of the toughest years I had to overcome – I changed guide runners so I had no one for two months, I was injured so I managed to overcome that,” added Clegg, who was speaking as the official ambassador of The Kennel Club Hero Dog Award ahead of Crufts 2024.

“That was the moment I was most proud of, leaning into that and dragging myself through. Hatti made such a big difference to me because I am a very independent person, she gave me the security to accept my disability and not feel ashamed or embarrassed about it.

“Now, I like to help people and give people advice if they need it because I’ve been around a long time so have been through most situations and scenarios.

“When I first came into athletics there weren’t any role models that I could relate to and now this next generation have got so many options of who they can look up to. It’s great to see how things have progressed and I do think, although we have a long way to go, disability is seen in a much more positive light than it was previously.”

Clegg competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in track cycling after hanging up her running spikes (Getty Images)

Clegg, who lives with Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy, has juggled a busy schedule that includes raising four-year-old son Edward since stepping away from sport.

Alongside working part-time for a sight-loss charity, Clegg has also become an ambassador for the annual Kennel Club Hero Dog Award, supported by The Kennel Club Charitable Trust.

The award celebrates the unique relationships people have with their dogs and the important role man’s best friend plays throughout our lives and in society.

Clegg was supported by Labrador Retriever cross Hatti for nine years, owing her confidence and independence to her now-retired guide dog.

Clegg took part in the 2020 series of Dancing on Ice , finishing third (Getty Images)

She said: “I initially was really nervous about getting a guide dog because I felt like it was going to hinder me. I didn’t realise how she was going to change my life. She made me more independent, gave me so much more confidence and broke down so many barriers between myself and other people.

“I didn’t feel like I had to explain my disability to anyone because all the focus was on her. It made me feel so much more secure, we had a really great partnership and in that time we built a really strong bond.

“It’s difficult going from having a full-time athletics career to going into normal work, it’s a shock to the system but I really enjoy it. I’ve got to meet different people away from sport and it’s opened my mind a lot doing some incredible things.”

Crufts, which celebrates dogs from all walks of life, takes place from 7-10 March at the NEC in Birmingham and tickets are available at crufts.org.uk