Paralympic high jump champion Jonathan Broom-Edwards would never have guessed the role basketball would play in his journey to sporting greatness. The 36-year-old heads to Paris this month to defend his Paralympic title from Tokyo, a phrase that might have sounded odd when turning up to the basketball court aged 10. The Colchester native spent as much of his childhood as he could shooting and dribbling, but the sport offered much more than just a strong leap that would later prove useful in athletics.

The confines of the court were also a safe space for Broom-Edwards to play like any other player, with his talipes equinovarus condition unknown to both teammates and opposition until university. “When I was younger, I was a bit embarrassed by my impairment,” reflected Broom-Edwards. “My left leg was skinnier and as I grew up it was getting skinnier. The good thing about basketball was the boots would come up really high and the basketball shorts would go down really low, so it was almost hiding in plain sight.

“Nowadays I’m not worried about my leg, but it did affect me for quite a bit of my childhood. Up until university, no one really knew about my condition because I hid it so well. I was playing able-bodied basketball. It wasn’t until there was one photo taken that showed how skinny my lower leg was that people noticed.”

The Leap of Faith

A brief hiatus from the court proved a pivotal turning point in Broom-Edwards’ sporting trajectory, when he tried his hand at high jump and put his basketball leap to even better use. It took time to adapt to the rigours of a different sport, despite his obvious talent, but revealed how his time competing in able-bodied sport honed his ruthlessly competitive side. He added: “I have competed against able-bodied athletes my whole career, so I have had coaches challenging me to do my best.

“That competitive edge comes out. It has also been really challenging for my ego because there are times when I am not going to win because I have got an impairment. I’ve had my fair share of different coaching methodologies. I was probably quite a challenge at the start because I had no high jump conditioning, all I knew how to do was just jump in basketball amongst sprints and changes of direction.

“To get my body moving in a particular way, that was very challenging at the start. I’ve never had a coach that has pampered to my foot, it has been ‘let’s see what you can get out of it.’”

A Balancing Act

Broom-Edwards is one of over 1,000 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme, which allows him to train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering medical support – which has been vital his journey. He currently operates a unique hybrid coaching set-up after coach Beth Partridge relocated to Qatar, meaning Deidre Elmhirst has joined his team in the UK, working alongside Partridge.

It has meant getting the balance of his support system has never required as much work, but he is confident his team have struck the right chord ahead of his tilt at a third Paralympic medal in Paris. “In the early stages of my basketball career, I had coaches that tried to help me move quicker and help the team whereas high jump is completely different,” he explained. “There is a team but it is more of a team to get the best out of the individual.

“I have learned that communication is the biggest and most important thing. The set-up with Deidre, Beth, and my previous coach Graham [Ravenscroft], the communication has been so good. I have had the kick up the backside when I need it, but I have also had the supportive conversations I need to pick up as it doesn’t always go right.

“Sometimes you have bad sessions and that’s when you need supporting, other times it’s having that rocket to get you to your very best. That’s been amazing with the set-up I’ve had over the past few years, and I truly believe it is what has led to the success and consistency I have had in the past few years.”

Beyond the Jumps

“Sport isn’t everything for me, I have a lot of things outside of sport that I do. It’s about keeping the home life and financial support there too and striking that balance between keeping your mind engaged outside of sport. Sometimes it’s not going right in sport and you need something to take your mind off it.

“The funding I get from The National Lottery is a huge help, it means I don’t have to worry about finances. I can get the right environment outside of sport to fuel the sport. It has been invaluable for my career.” With more than £30M a week raised for Good Causes, including vital funding into elite and grassroots sport, National Lottery players support our Olympic and Paralympic athletes to live their dreams and make the nation proud, as well as providing more opportunities for people to take part in sport. To find out more visit: www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk