EMMA RADUCANU
The rise and rise of British tennis’s new teenage superstar
each one estimated to weigh around 500g – Sarah says they mean so much to her. “They represent a lifetime of work and commitment to something I have thoroughly enjoyed putting so much time and energy into,” she tells us.
“They are all incredibly special and now to be able to share winning them with my own children is an even greater feeling than I could ever have imagined. Louisa and Charlie really enjoy being able to handle the medals – they are very careful with them, as they know how precious they are!”
It’s clear how important Barney, 44, Louisa, eight, three- year- old Charlie and her parents are to Sarah. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, no spectators were allowed to watch the Games; something she struggled with.
Barney and the children found it just as tough back home in Cheshire. “It was very difficult,” he tells us. “It was really kind of tricky and obviously the kids did miss her.”
Sarah flew home immediately after her final victory, and was greeted with a favourite home comfort: one of her mother’s “hedgehog cakes”; a sponge cake covered with buttercream icing and chocolate buttons. “My mum always makes them, usually for my birthday, but Charlie’s been asking for one and I had not had any cake for such a long time. It didn’t last long! The following evening, we had a family dinner where my dad cooked and we had some champagne.”
JUGGLING ACT
Despite their tender years, Louisa and Charlie are clearly very proud of their talented mother. “Charlie keeps telling me: ‘It’s so good to have you back, Mum!’ And Louisa has talked about how inspired she is by watching the competition. They both know what goes into being an athlete; they know we have to do a lot of training and that work pays off.”
The three gold medals won in Tokyo will be looked after – along with Sarah’s 14 others – by her parents. “My dad keeps them under lock and key,” she explains. “I kind of book them out when I need them. He keeps a track of where they are and makes sure they’re safe.”
Sarah says she could never have achieved her Paralympic dreams without the full support of Barney and her parents. “They are the foundations of making it all work,” she says. “We juggle everything and it means I can do what I do. You know, they say it takes a village to raise a family… well, it really does.”
Former Paralympian Barney and Sarah divide up domestic duties equally – even choosing the children’s school shoes together via WhatsApp messages during the Paralympics.
“We share everything as a team. Cleaning and making sure the washing doesn’t pile up are the things that get left in our house, so we can try to make sure everything else is done and that we’re present with the kids.”
‘We’re fortunate that we live on the edge of the Peak District so we can go for walks or bike rides’
When they are all at home together, the Storey crew enjoy bike rides or taking their motorhome around the country.
“We love being outdoors and exploring together,” she says. “We’re very fortunate that we live on the edge of the Peak District, so we can go for walks or bike rides.”
Unusually for an elite athlete, Sarah’s winning streak on the track continued after she became a mother. And it gained her a whole new perspective.
“The sporting side dwarfs into much less significance when you have a little one to look after. I made sure that I prioritised my mother role because that felt like it was the yin to the yang of being the selfish athlete. And I think that combination works well.”
That mentality has earned her legions of fans in the sporting world, with athletes including gold-medal rower Helen Glover consulting with Sarah about how to combine motherhood with athletics.
“It’s a huge privilege to help anyone who asks for advice. It’s always a pleasure to be able to pass on how I found things and support them to make the right decisions.”
‘ The medals represent a lifetime of work and commitment’