We had the pleasure of speaking with Stephen Clegg, fresh off his incredible achievement of winning two medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Stephen opened up about his journey navigating the challenges of competing at an elite level with vision loss, sharing insights into his mindset and the path to success. In the crowd cheering him on was his niece, Adaline, who has also faced her own battle with vision loss after being diagnosed with retinoblastoma. You can learn more about her story over on our blog.
Congratulations on your two gold medals! Can you share what the experience was like competing in Paris and winning?
Competing and winning in the games was the most emotional experience of my career. It was the culmination of a decade of work. I had come very close to winning gold in the last Paralympics 3 years earlier and it was very difficult to process and regroup after that loss. So coming into Paris I felt a lot of pressure to redeem myself. The only clear emotion I remember feeling after winning was relief, I had finally done it.
What motivates you to continue competing and striving for excellence?
I think for me, my drive comes from an overwhelming urge to keep improving on myself. For me the way I express that is in the pool. The thing I love about swimming isn’t necessarily competing, it’s the training, the discipline, and consistency required to improve. I love the challenge it presents both physically and mentally. Medals are just the reward for the work.
How does it feel to have such a strong support system, especially with siblings who also understand the Paralympic world?
I owe all my success to my team! I can’t put into words how fortunate I am to have such a caring and supportive network that give up so much in their own lives so that I can pursue my dream. No one fully understands the amount of work that goes into making results like this happen. The work athletes put in is just the centre piece of a much bigger puzzle that creates success.
How has your visual impairment impacted your journey as a Paralympian, and what advice do you have for other athletes with disabilities?
I think this is a very important question. I think for me, my understanding of how my visual impairment impacts me has changed over the years. For a long time everyone told me that my vision only impacted how I orientate my way around the pool and how well I can turn and finish. More recently, I have learned that it is a skill acquisition deficit. Most people teach to aid visual learners. So over the years me and my coach have had to adapt and evolve the way we train in order to work around that. My advice for other athletes is to really take time to figure out for yourself how your disability impacts you and don’t just listen to what others believe it is. In addition, take chances, find your limits, and don’t accept the limitations others put on you out of their own insecurities.
You’ve had an amazing career so far. What are your next goals, both in and outside of sports?
What is next? That is a very hard question. I spent the last decade chasing one thing, I knew how it feels to fall short of your goals and how hard it is to process that, but no one ever tells you how it feels once you actually get the thing that you have been chasing. In the build-up you don’t consider that the story of your life doesn’t just end once you have a gold medal round your neck. So the last few weeks have been spent asking myself that exact question. I know I am not done with this sport. I love it too much to stop but I need to consider what I want to achieve in the pool before I can commit 100% to it. However, outside of the pool is clearer. I want to make sport at any level more accessible for people with disabilities. Sadly right now, it really isn’t! I want kids to understand that sport is a great option for them from a mental and physical health point of view, and also is an amazing way to meet and build friendships with people. It’s a very big goal but I hope with enough time and the right group, of people working together, we can make some needed changes.
How do you mentally prepare for such high-stakes competitions, especially in an event like the Paralympics?
The mental preparation side of sport is honestly one of the most challenging elements of it. It is very hard to prepare yourself for a moment like this. It is your life’s work decided by a moment that lasts less than 60 seconds. For me, it was a combination of two concepts that have taken years and a lot of setbacks to understand. 1 – I have done everything I can to prepare myself to win and 2 – even if I don’t achieve the dream at this moment, it doesn’t undo all the work I have put in and positive progress that I have made. Ultimately, there is much more to succeeding than just winning. I went into the games with the target of being present and, more importantly, enjoying the Paralympic games.
How did it feel to have your family come and support you in Paris?
Having my family in the crowd was honestly very emotional. In Rio 2016, I was not in a realistic position to win a medal and then in Tokyo, no one could come and spectate. So this was the first time that they were able to watch me with a fighting chance of winning. I know they find it hard when I have to make sacrifices in my personal life to pursue this career. I think up until they saw what it meant to me, they still didn’t really understand why I had to make those sacrifices. So it was emotionally jarring for me when I got to share that moment with them.