John McFall: The first Paralympian in space?

On the Podium

John McFall's life changed forever when, at the age of 19, he lost the lower part of his right leg in a motorcycle accident. His dream of joining the British Army was over - but sport gave him a way to find the challenges he'd been seeking. A little over eight years later, he sprinted to bronze at the Beijing Paralympics. Then he left the track behind, and turned his attentions to a new challenge: training as an orthopaedic surgeon. He also began raising a family with his wife Sonia, herself a former Olympic gymnast.

But a few years later, a phone call from a friend would send John on another unexpected journey - one that might even take him to outer space.

Eliza Skinner and Ed Harry talk to John about the passions that have driven his life, and which are now fuelling his work with the European Space Agency to test what it will take to send a physically disabled person to space safely. He shares the emotional impact that learning to run again had on him, and how he wants his new career to challenge preconceptions of what disabled people can do, both among the scientific community and with the wider public. He also explains why he thinks his Paralympic medal was less important than the eight years of work it took to earn it, and reveals the small memento he keeps from the accident that changed everything.

As the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics approach, delve into our archive to discover more stories of extraordinary sporting journeys. Basketball champion Breanna Stewart and shot-putter Raven Saunders explain why they use the platform sport gives them to act as advocates. Swimmer Anastasia Pagonis and rower Brigit Skarstein share how sport helped them rebuild their futures after life-changing events, while Markus Rogan and Maarten van der Weijden talk about the lives they have found after leaving competition behind. Multi-sport stars like Oksana Masters and Jana Pittman reveal what it's like to compete at both the summer and winter Games. There's stories of memorable victories, like the moment high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi chose to share his gold medal, and Shaunae Miller-Uibo putting everything on the line to reach the top step of the podium. Plus, the triumphs nobody predicted, including Molly Seidel's shock marathon bronze, and the day Anna Kiesenhofer rode away from cycling's biggest names to claim gold in Tokyo.