Anna Nicholson PLY
Shot Put
Anna Nicholson is a two time Paralympic athlete competing in F35 Shot Put, and won her first Paralympic medal at the 2024 Paris Games.
She first started competing in athletics in 2011 after attending a talent day for youngsters with disabilities where she tried various sports. Anna has always loved being active, and was brought up with a can-do attitude which has shaped the person she is today. The first time she picked up a discus was a life-defining moment, it was the first time she felt like she could excel in sport rather than just take part for the enjoyment.
Anna is more than just an athlete, she has a first class Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering from Newcastle University and works as a Production Engineer in the Automotive Industry, alongside her training for the Paralympics. She finds that her professional career and sporting career complement each other, each one giving her an outlet from the other. Alongside her Engineering career she is a STEM Ambassador and is passionate about Women in Engineering. She has supported events for local school children, giving them an insight in what it’s like to work in the Automotive Industry and mentoring them with STEM related activities.
Anna also supports local charities and events, such as Cerebral Palsy Sport and Run with Rich (Richard Whitehead Foundation). Both organisations run inclusive events encouraging people to give sports a go. Anna’s also a qualified Boccia referee and she believes that everyone has the right to play sport and live an active life. The power of sport is incredible, it has a positive impact on fitness and mental health, helps form friendships and shows yourself what you’re capable of if you work for it.
Anna’s journey to Paralympic Bronze Medallist isn’t the most straightforward but is a story of perseverance and determination. Her GB debut was at World Junior Championships in 2014 winning a silver medal, and later becoming World Junior Champion in 2015. But it wasn’t until 2019 that she made her first GB Senior Team at World Championships finishing 4th place. Her Paralympic debut in Tokyo (2021) didn’t quite go as planned, placing 6th. She was agonisingly close to her first World Championship Medal in 2023, finishing 4th again with a Personal Best and only 17cm off bronze, but that gave her the drive to work harder than ever before. This determination paid off after adding an impressive 77cm to her 2023 mark to win her first Paralympic Medal, bronze, in Paris.
ENQUIRIES: If you are interested in partnering with OR booking Anna for a speaking engagement please email callum@athletemedia.co.uk or call 07952 304340.