Great Britain have their very own Paralympic power couple. Hannah Cockroft and Nathan Maguire have halted their wedding plans as they take to the track in the city of love, Paris.
The Team GB lovebirds arrived in the French capital with dreams of taking home gold before they tie the knot following the closing ceremony.
Cockroft, 32, has already completed her end of the bargain, reigning supreme in the women's 100m T34. Maguire, 27, aims to emulate his fiance's successes on Tuesday night when he takes to the track in the men's 1500m T54 final.
The pair of wheelchair racers have been here before. Cockroft is competing in her fourth Paralympics - already a gold medallist in each Games - while Maguire has raced at three.
Paris is just another stop on their journey together which started 12 years ago when a starstruck Maguire met London 2012 double champion, Cockroft.
'It was at a Youth Sport Trust talent day,' Maguire told The Telegraph. 'She [Cockroft] was the celebrity guest and I was one of the young athletes, the “rising talent”. I have a picture of me getting her autograph.
'After that, our paths crossed at events and training. 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 difficult to describe the dedication this takes to someone who’s not in sport. Being together has made us both better athletes.'
Cockroft suffered two heart attacks within 24 hours of being born. As a result, permanent damage was caused to her brain which caused mobility problems with her hips, legs, and feet.
The track athlete is a legend of the Paralympics, she has won eight gold medals across four games, never missing out on the top spot in 12 years of competiting at the premier competition in her sport.
While Cockroft has already achieved her aim of defending her 100m T34 gold medal - in which she is the world record holder - for the third time, that is only one-half of her aim of also triumphing in the women's 800m T34 for the third time on the trot.
However, she does not feel anywhere near as nervous competing, compared to when she is watching her husband-to-be.
'My hopes for Paris are very simple – I would like two gold medals,' Cockcroft said to The Telegraph. 'Watching Nathan race will be terrifying though, I hate it. It’s so nerve-wracking as I know how much effort he has put into it and how much it means to him. I’d rather race every day than watch Nathan racing.'
The pairs relationship has blossomed throughout the years, and following the Tokyo Games in 2021, Maguire got down on one knee and proposed to his champion girlfriend in Copenhagen.
After an initial anxious wait, while the couple shared a giggle, Maguire got the answer he desired when Cockroft gave him a resounding yes.
The couple are due to wed three weeks following the Paralympics in Cockroft's hometown of Halifax, Yorkshire.
With Cockroft achieving everything there is to achieve in her sport, building a family with Maguire following their wedding appeals to her. However, that time will only come on one condition.
'I definitely want children but we need to get the timing right,' Cockroft added. 'I’m at the top of my game and don’t want to miss out, but it will definitely happen. I keep telling Nathan that he has to win Paralympic gold first – then I’ll take some time off.'
The 27-year-old has come close to achieving his goal of Paralympic gold in the past, taking home silver in the universal relay three years ago in Tokyo.
However, Maguire is not involved in the relay this time around, and his hopes of taking the top spot on the Paris podium rely on the 1500m T34 final.
