London 2012: British Olympians, one year on: Hannah Cockroft

The athlete won gold in the 100 and 200m T34 class at the Paralympics last year. She thought she had it 'sorted' …
hannah cockroft
Hannah Cockroft photographed near her home in Halifax, Yorkshire. 'You can’t be greedy in this world. I’ve got a chair and it races in a straight line, sometimes around the bends.' Photograph: Richard Saker for the Observer Richard Saker/Observer

One of the undisputed stars of the Paralympics, Hannah Cockroft of Halifax won golds in the T34 class 100m and 200m races. There followed appearances on 8 Out of 10 Cats and an inclusion on FHM's "three sexiest Paralympians" list. Still just 20, she is going to Coventry University in the autumn and before that competing in the Sainsbury's Summer Series: visit for tickets.

How many times have you been to Buckingham Palace since the Paralympics?

hannah cockroft licks gold
Women's T34 100m final: Hannah Cockroft licks the gold medal, 31 August 2012. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Observer

Three times, and I've been to St James's Palace and I've been to the House of Commons twice. I'm blasé now, it's like my second home. No, it's still cool – every time you go back you see a different room and meet a different member of the royal family.

How do you get on with the royals?

When I got my MBE, Prince Charles commented that I had very nice hands for a wheelchair user. So I was like: "Er, thank you." I don't know if it was a compliment or just a comment. Nice thing to say, I guess.

You've said you dreamed about being famous from the age of five. How does the reality compare?

I went through the dreams: I wanted to be a singer, a dancer, an actress, I wanted to be in the police. Then I was like: "You know what, I just want to be famous, I want everyone to know who I am." Because I like attention. But now I'm halfway there, I'm not sure if I like it anymore. Sometimes you just want your privacy and your life back.

How do people react on recognising you?

You still get the British thing of people walking past and staring at you. Walking around with my brother, he's like, "Are they staring at you because you're in a wheelchair or are they staring at you because you're famous?" Dunno.

What has been the highlight of the last year?

Meeting McFly.

They were your specialist subject on Celebrity Mastermind, right?

Yeah, and then I met them at the National Television Awards. I didn't know they were going to be there, but I saw them across the room. At the time we were chasing Graham Norton or someone for a picture and to my friends I was just like, "Forget them. McFly are over there!"

Is it true you have actually lost sponsors since the Paralympics?

I honestly thought after London: "I've got two gold medals, I'll be sorted, people will want to sponsor me." But just the way things are, a lot of people got dropped by sponsors because people can't afford to do it any more. BMW was only up to the Games, so they dropped me. I was sponsored by a local insurance company as well. No, I don't have very much, just the always-faithful BT.

That surprises me…

I'm surprised too. But I've got everything I need; sometimes it would be nice to have extra but you can't be greedy in this world. I've got a chair and she races in a straight line, sometimes around the bends. She's holding up pretty well, she's falling apart in places but duct tape fixes it.

Are you looking forward to going back to the Olympic Stadium for the Anniversary Games?

Yeah, hopefully I remember more of it this time. I won't be as dazed by what's happening. At the Paralympics, I crossed the line to win my first gold and it looks in pictures like my face is melting. I was like: "Do I laugh? Do I cry? Do I scream?" So I kind of did a mixture of all three. It looks weird, but I honestly felt a bit numb.

After experiencing the London Games aged 20, are you worried that everything else is going to be an anticlimax?

That's a tough one. London was incredible but Rio is going to be incredible in its own way. We won't have the support but we will have a private beach! If I win three gold medals that will come level with London. And I'll get a tan.