“I’m better than Jesus,” this 9x Paralympic gold medalist said. “I died and came back twice.” In the first 24 hours of her life, Cockroft suffered two heart attacks, leaving her lifeless for a few minutes. Yet, she persevered, and she’s making waves. On the track, she’s unstoppable. Off it, she’s struggling to survive. Nine-time Paralympic gold medalist, one of Britain’s most decorated athletes, has lifted the lid on a painful reality that hides behind her record-breaking success. Despite being undefeated for nearly a decade and heading into her fourth Paralympic Games in peak form, the wheelchair racing icon has admitted that she’s lost every one of her sponsors. And is now battling a financial crisis she never saw coming.

“I’ve already lost every sponsor that I had in the Paralympic year,” she confessed in a heartbreaking revelation to Athletics Weekly. “We’ve had our funding changed, so we only get one competition a year covered now.” These words hit like a shockwave, especially considering her dominance in the T34 category since 2012. While she’s been ramping up for Paris stronger and faster than ever before, her financial backing has vanished. Leaving her to fight two battles at once.

Cockroft’s sporting career is virtually spotless. Ever since exploding onto the world stage in London 2012, she’s won gold across the 100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m events. The only blemish? A rare silver at the 2018 European Championships. Her lone defeat in over a decade. Yet even that didn’t slow her down. Her resilience, physical evolution, and elite mindset have made her the undisputed favorite for Paris 2024. But medals don’t pay the bills.

She’s been vocal about it in the past too. Talking about the parity of sponsorships with other athletes, she believes there’s a massive inequalilty. “In terms of sponsorship, we’re no way even close. Last year, because I won a silver medal, I lost four sponsors. If you compare it, the majority of able-bodied athletes who haven’t even won a medal still sign thousands and thousands of pounds-worth of deals.” 

On many occasions, Paralympians have offered sobering insight into the larger problem. They noted that even those who deliver at the highest level aren’t immune to being sidelined financially. It’s a sentiment that echoes Cockroft’s situation exactly. After winning in Paris, Cockroft remains the gold standard on the track. But off it, she’s an example of just how cruel the sports world can be when the cameras aren’t rolling. But she is still refusing to back down. After all, Cockroft did die and come back twice! 

Died twice and rose again, who was ever going to stop Hannah Cockroft in Paris?

“I’m better than Jesus. I died and came back twice,” says Hannah Cockroft. It sounds outrageous, almost blasphemous. But it’s not arrogance. It’s fact! Within her first 24 hours on earth, Cockroft’s heart stopped twice. The first attack left her lifeless for 20 minutes. The second pushed doctors to the edge of hope. And yet, she lived. Not just lived, but conquered.

Now, at 32, the British para-athletics icon has stormed to double gold in Paris, defending both her T34 100m and 800m titles like a woman who has never taken a heartbeat for granted.

“I got given a third chance at life,” she says. “Why would you not do something with that?” That question has followed her since childhood. She didn’t dream of gold medals, only of being remembered. Cockroft stated, “I just wanted people to know my name.” Years later, with nine Paralympic golds and 16 world titles, Cockroft is more than a name. She’s a symbol of what surviving can become. But recognition hasn’t always matched achievement. “There’s sometimes this narrative of, ‘Oh, you always win by miles, so why do you even bother?’” she said, brushing off the misconception that dominance equals ease. Every win, especially in Paris, was carved from pressure.

“I’m the world record holder. I’m the Paralympic champion. I’m the world champion. That’s just the way it is,” she says. What also remains is the body that fatigues after two minutes of standing. Hannah further shared,“Walking has definitely got more difficult as I’ve got older.” But none of that slowed her in Paris. Two golds, two statements. She didn’t just come back. She came back and ruled.