Paralympic power couple Hannah Cockroft and Nathan Maguire open up on their relationship, Paris and extraordinary path to the Games

Britain has its own Paralympic power couple. Hannah Cockroft and Nathan Maguire have put their wedding plans on hold and are hitting the track in the city of love, Paris.

The Team GB lovebirds arrived in the French capital with dreams of taking home gold before tying the knot after the closing ceremony.

Cockroft, 32, has already completed her part of the deal and is supreme in the women’s 100m T34. Maguire, 27, will be aiming to emulate his fiancée’s successes on Tuesday night when he takes to the track in the final of the men’s 1500m T54.

The wheelchair racing pair have been here before. Cockroft is competing in her fourth Paralympics – already a gold medallist at both Games – while Maguire has raced in three.

Paris is just one stop on their journey that began 12 years ago when the lovestruck Maguire met two-time London 2012 competition winner Cockroft.

Cockroft defended her Paralympic title for the third time on Sunday in the women’s 100m T34

Maguire will compete in the men’s 1500m T54 final on Tuesday evening in a bid to win gold

“It was at a Youth Sport Trust talent day,” Maguire told The Telegraph. “They [Cockroft] was the celebrity guest and I was one of the young athletes, the “rising talent”. I have a photo of me getting her autograph.

‘After that, our paths crossed at events and trainings. We were friends for about a year and a half before we got together.

“We just had fun and we’re very similar people. The fact that we share a common passion is a big thing. It’s really hard to describe the dedication that it takes to someone who’s not in the sport. Being together has made us both better athletes.”

Cockroft suffered two heart attacks within 24 hours of her birth, permanently damaging her brain and causing mobility issues with her hips, legs and feet.

The athlete is a legend at the Paralympic Games, having won eight gold medals in four events and never falling short of the top spot in the 12 years she has competed in her sport’s most important event.

Cockroft has already achieved her goal of defending her gold medal in the 100m T34 (in which she is the world record holder) for the third time, but that is only half of her aim of also winning the women’s 800m T34 for the third time in a row.

However, she doesn’t feel nearly as nervous as she does when she has to look at her future husband.

“My hopes for Paris are very simple – I would like two gold medals,” Cockcroft told The Telegraph. “It will be scary watching Nathan race, I hate it. It’s so nerve-wracking because I know how much effort he’s put into it and how much it means to him. I would rather race every day than watch Nathan race.”

The lovebirds both came home with medals from the 2021 Tokyo Paralympic Games

Cockroft has been dominant in the women’s 100m T34 for ten years and is the world record holder

The relationship between the two has grown steadily over the years and after the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Maguire got down on one knee to propose to his champion girlfriend in Copenhagen.

After an initially anxious wait, while the couple laughed heartily, Maguire got the answer he wanted when Cockroft gave him a resounding yes.

The couple will marry three weeks after the Paralympic Games in Cockroft’s hometown of Halifax, Yorkshire.

Now that Cockroft has achieved everything she can in her sport, starting a family with Maguire after their wedding appeals to her. However, that time will only come under one condition.

“I definitely want children, but we have to get the timing right,” Cockroft added. “I’m at the peak of my powers and I don’t want to miss out, but it will happen. I keep telling Nathan he has to win Paralympic gold first – then I’ll take some time off.”

Maguire proposed to Cockroft in Tokyo three years ago, while on holiday in Copenhagen

The 27-year-old has come close to his goal in the past: gold at the Paralympic Games. Three years ago in Tokyo he won silver in the universal relay.

However, Maguire will not be taking part in the relay this time and his hopes for a first place on the podium in Paris are based on the final of the 1500m T34.