Paul Blake

Sport: Athletics
Event: T36 400m and 800m
Date and Place of Birth: 1990, Dorcester, UK
Coached by: Rob Ellchuk

Paul enjoyed a stellar athletics career while training at the University of Bath from 2009 to 2020, winning gold at the Paralympic Games, World and European Championships.

Blake, who was part of Rob Ellchuk’s successful training group at the University, quickly established himself as one of Britain’s most talented athletes and won his first world title in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2011 when he claimed T36 400m gold.

He went on to conquer the world over 800m in 2013, 2015 and 2019 but his crowning moment came at Rio 2016 where he won the 400m title and ParalympicsGB’s 50th gold of the Games.

That completed a full set of Paralympic medals for Blake, who had also won 400m silver and 800m bronze on home soil at London 2012. He also claimed 800m silver at Rio 2016.

A popular and inspirational figure at the Sports Training Village, Blake – who has cerebral palsy – was inducted into the University of Bath Hall of Fame for Sport in 2017 having been awarded a Honorary Blue at the University’s Blues Awards in 2011.

His mother, Kate, is a former ballet dancer with the Royal Ballet, while his father, also called Paul, is an actor best known for playing Greedo in Star Wars.

Career highlights

2011: 400m gold plus 800m and 1,500m silver in the T36 classification at the IPC World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand.
2012: T36 400m silver and 800m bronze at the London 2012 Paralympic Games; T36 400m silver at the IPC European Championships.
2013: 800m gold and 400m silver in the T36 classification at the IPC World Championships in Lyon, France.
2014: 400m silver and 100m bronze in the T36 classification at the IPC European Championships.
2015: 800m gold and 400m silver in the T36 classification at the IPC World Championships in Doha, Qatar – also co-captained the Great Britain team at the event.
2016: T36 400m gold and 800m silver at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games