Paralympic medallist Didi Okoh has set her sights on a Commonwealth Games medal in discus to honour the coach who prevented her from quitting sport. The 23-year-old, who won bronze in the 100m T63 at Paris 2024, switched to discus in January with the goal of representing Team England at Glasgow 2026.
From Track to Field
Okoh, based in Birmingham, made the difficult transition from sprinting to throwing events. She aims to add a Commonwealth Games medal to her previous global successes, including a bronze at the World Para Athletics Championships 2025 in New Delhi.
Her journey has not been easy. Okoh lives with lymphedema, a condition causing severe leg swelling, and initially struggled to find coaches willing to work with her. That changed when Shirley Quinn, now in her seventies, took her under her wing.
Coach's Influence
“For me, it’s so important that I complete that entire journey of doing the discus for my old throws coach Shirley Quinn. She’s the reason I stayed in sport,” said Okoh. “When I was 16, my athletics group at my local club didn’t want to coach me due to my impairment, but she took me on and taught me how to throw.”
Okoh added: “In that period I was so mentally distraught at being told that I can’t do this anymore by people I thought I could trust. She had to re-establish trust within myself and with me to her. Without her, I wouldn’t have even thought that I was capable of throwing, but she gave me that confidence that I could throw and do whatever I put my mind to.”
Aiming for Glory
Having started at Chelmsford AC under Quinn, Okoh now represents Birchfield Harriers while studying law and criminology at the University of Birmingham. She gave herself just three months to meet the Commonwealth Games qualifying standard by March 31, 2026.
“I gave myself three months to get selected. It’s an incredibly hard thing to switch your skill set into a completely different event,” she said. “The mental struggle, the physical struggle, even just the sense of going into competition. I know my layout for the 100m, but discus is completely different, you’re out there for an hour with your other competitors.”
Okoh secured her place at the final competition, and she is not satisfied with mere participation. “I want to be the best on that world stage. There is no way I go into a champ not thinking about a medal,” she stated. “Despite the lack of training I’ve had around it, I do believe that I can push forward and get another global medal which will be so amazing.”
The King’s Baton Relay for Glasgow 2026 stopped at Alexander Stadium, where Okoh spoke at SportsAid Live. Commonwealth Games England has partnered with SportsAid to deliver the Team England Futures programme, preparing athletes for future multi-sport Games.
