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Blog: “I love running – being out in the fresh air is the best”

Activity Alliance features a blog post every Friday. This year we have been sharing experiences of disabled people involved in sport and exercise at all levels. Today, we continue this theme and hear from athletics sprinter and long jumper, Charlotte Cox on how she got into athletics and why she loves it.

Charlotte doing a long jump.

Hi, I’m Charlotte, I’m a 27 year old that lives in Cambridge, I’m an athletics sprinter and long jumper and I have mosaic Downs Syndrome.

My training schedule consist of me training four times week. I train three days a week in the evening with the Cambridge and Coleridge (C&C) Athletics Club, and one evening in the gym.

I compete regularly for C&C in various competitions. I have also represented Great Britain internationally. I am currently the International Associations for Athletes with Downs Syndrome (IAADS) World and European Champion for an athlete with Mosaic Downs Syndrome in the 100m, 200m, 400m, long jump and the multi-event (100m, long jump and shot put). I am also the world record holder for these events too.

I recently competed in the IAADS World Championships in Madeira, Portugal, where I won five gold medals and achieved a new world record for the long jump. I also regularly compete at the Mencap national athletics championships and for Special Olympics GB.

I started taking part in athletics as a teenager after my brother and sister joined the C&C Athletics Club. It looked like fun so I wanted to join in too.

I love being active, I enjoy my running, and being in the fresh air is the best. Though I’m not keen on running and training when it is cold!

My most recent achievement comes from competing in the International Association for Athletes with a Learning Disability (INAS) European Championship, where for the first time athletes with Downs Syndrome competed in their own classification - I won four gold medals which I’m really proud of.

I’ve found lots of benefits to being active but the main ones are; it keeps me fit, healthy and helps me to keep trim. Overall, taking part in sport makes me feel good about myself. I love the travelling and competing. Of course, I get nervous at the big competitions but it is nice to meet new people, and winning medals is always a great feeling!

My family, coaches and teammates are all very important to me. Their support means a lot. My mum and dad regularly take me to training and to most of my competitions – my mum is always the loudest supporter!  

My coaches, Bryn and Tommy, have helped me improve my running and jumping, and my teammates help me with training, and we all support each other at competitions.

Next year I hope to be competing at the IAADS European Championships in Finland. If I am selected, I hope to go to Brisbane next year for the INAS Global Games. My aim is to compete and the Paralympic Games.

My advice to other disabled people who are wanting to take up a sport or activity but not sure is - being part of a team helps with confidence, it also adds to the enjoyment and it is great when you help each other out. Any sport or exercise is good for your health and fitness, so why not just give something a go.

Follow Charlotte’s journey via her blog – CharlotteCox.org.uk

Find out more about Cambridge and Coleridge Athletics Club.

If you want to be more active but aren't sure how to start, visit our dedicated webpages for advice.