Paralympian Emma Wiggs dedicates medals to wife on anniversary
Gold medalist Emma Wiggs of Team GB celebrates on the podium at the Paris Paralympic Games 2024 (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
British Paralympic athlete Emma Wiggs has dedicated her gold and silver medals to her wife in a touching post for the couple’s wedding anniversary.
Wiggs, who won gold and silver in the VL2 and KL2 paracanoeing events at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games this summer, said she “absolutely would not have even made it to Paris” without her wife.
In an Instagram post, Wiggs wrote: “What can I say about you Gem? Today is our 9th wedding anniversary, we’ve spent about three actually together but I have never felt more in love with you.
“I absolutely would not have even made it to Paris without you, let alone paddle without fear in those races, knowing you would be there at the finish regardless of what happened.
“To see you shine so bright working for ParalympicsGB and to share Paris 2024 with you was beyond my wildest dreams.”
Showing off her wins with medal emojis, she dedicated both gold and silver to her partner, adding that “everything we achieve is because of you and our love”.
Emma Wiggs was just one of several “Team LGBTQ+” medal-winners at this year’s summer Paralympics, with LGBTQ+ athletes bringing in more medals than they ever have before in Paris.
With a total of 28 medals, queer athletes would have come in at 11th place if “Team LGBTQ+” had performed as a country.
After winning gold, 44-year-old Wiggs claimed she has her sights set on the next Paralympics in LA in 2028.
“I don’t think about my age, it’s just a number and I’m still competitive against the fastest girls in the world. Why stop? LA sounds nice,” she told reporters at the Games.
She added in an Instagram post after the Paralympics: “Five time Paralympic medalist, three consecutive golds, the only Paracanoe athlete to double medal in the last two Paralympic games, and most decorated Paralympic Paracanoe athlete since our incredible sport debuted in Rio 2016… Wow!”
“Nothing is possible without amazing people around you, my heart is full, thank you, thank you for everything,” she added.
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