Colchester Honors Olympic and Paralympic Athletes

Schoolchildren questioned their athletic role models as the city of Colchester expressed its gratitude to its Olympic and Paralympic competitors for representing their community at the Paris games. Students from various local secondary schools participated in a special reception arranged by Mayor of Colchester Lesley Scott-Boutell. They were accompanied by sprinter Charlie Dobson, boxer Lewis Richardson, and high jumper Jonathan Broom-Edwards, all of whom are natives of the city. At Colchester Town Hall, independent councillor Scott-Boutell addressed the athletes, stating, “You make us proud beyond words and Colchester stands in awe of you.” The three athletes responded to inquiries regarding managing training alongside school, coping with anxiety, and the chocolate muffins provided at the Olympic and Paralympic Village. Richardson, who returned from Paris having secured a bronze medal, commented that qualifying for the Paris Olympics “really fulfilled a lifelong dream.” He informed the BBC, “I’m just a normal local lad from Colchester. I come from a council estate, which I’m really proud of.” He added, “I’m really grateful for those experiences that the area provided me and to have the support from the city is really nice and it’s quite humbling.” Dobson, who began training with the Colchester Harriers Athletics Club in Year 7, expressed that it was “always nice” to spend time in his hometown. He elaborated, “I don’t come back as often as I would like, to be honest. Training takes over my life and I’m always away for competitions and stuff.” He stated that earning a bronze medal as a member of the men’s 4x400m relay team at the Olympics represented the most significant achievement of his year. Broom-Edwards conveyed his pride in competing at the Paralympics, particularly after being given only a 1% likelihood of reaching Paris following surgery performed merely weeks prior to the Games. He recounted, “I had so many people telling me ‘it’s not possible… you may as well stop and just enjoy the rest of the summer’ but there was a niggling inside me that there was still a chance.” Although he relocated from Colchester during his childhood, he affirmed that the city continued to be “a big part of me.” He concluded, “The people of Colchester have got behind me and supported me for so long and I’ve got so much love for them.”