Corrine Hall OBE
Gold medal cyclist
Sport Science, 2013
Cyclist Corrine Hall OBE already has two Paralympic Gold medals to her name. It was in her final year at St Mary’s that she was invited to try out as a tandem pilot and paired up with Lora Fachie. The pair have competed in the Rio, Tokyo, and Paris Paralympic Games, claiming 2 Gold, 1 Silver, and 4 Bronze medals to date.
“I'm so grateful that I went to St Mary’s and that I did get a degree because it gives me other opportunities.”
Going for Gold
Corrine graduated from St Mary’s University in 2013 with a degree in Sport Science. At school, Corrine was selected to join the GB under-16 cycling team at the age of 13. She then progressed to the juniors but didn’t quite make it to the under-23 level. That was when she enrolled at St Mary’s, with the idea of still training full-time while getting a degree.
Corrine shares that the small size and strong athletic base at St Mary’s made it the perfect university for her. She quickly made friends with the other athletes at the University, and says she received great support from all the staff. So much so that she still keeps in touch with many students and lecturers that helped her during her time.
“What makes St Mary’s special is that it's quite a small university but everything you could want is there. It really is world class.”
During her time at St Mary’s, Corrine regularly took advantage of the facilities on campus to aid her training. She says that she received some really good strength and conditioning, physio, and psychological support while at the University.
Corrine also participated in the SIMMSport coaching initiative in her final year, coaching athletics on a Saturday morning to local children. It was a highly enjoyable experience for Corrine, and gave her something to focus on separate from university work and cycling.
Corrine speaking ahead of the Paris 2024 Games.
After graduating in 2013, Corrine competed in her first Paralympic Games just three years later at Rio 2016. With her family watching from the crowd, Corrine and Lora took home the Gold medal in the track pursuit. Reflecting on that moment, Corrine shares that ahead of the race neither of them thought they would be champions, making it even more special.
The pair have ridden together for 11 years now, winning medals at the Rio, Tokyo, and Paris Paralympic Games. In 2022, Corrine and Lora were both awarded an OBE for services to cycling.
“The Paralympics is the biggest event in the world for the tandem, so going into my first Games was crazy. Now, I'm older and more experienced, but you still feel excitement.”
Despite all her success as a cyclist, Corrine is still glad she went to St Mary’s and got a degree in Sport Science. She shares that once she retires from cycling, she’ll look to pursue other opportunities that are open to her because of her degree. For Corrine, St Mary’s has given her options in life outside of cycling.
