Jonathan Broom-Edwards is daring to dream

Paralympic high jumper says his appearance on a military-style reality show has allowed him to start realising his potential

Jonathan Broom-Edwards might only have competed in just one event during the 2023 season, but he still successfully defended his world T64 high jump crown.

In a similar fashion to Gianmarco Tamberi and Mutaz Essa Barshim at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the 35-year-old shared the top of the podium in a moment of great sportsmanship with long-term gold medal rival, Poland’s Maciej Lepiato.

Broom-Edwards is the reigning Paralympic champion in the event and the AW Male Para Athlete of the Year hopes to retain his gold medal in Paris next summer.

It was a shortened 2023 season but how do you reflect on the World Championships?

Getting to the championships, after suffering a hamstring injury eight weeks prior, was down to mental resilience. That’s been built on the experience I’ve had in the few years prior to the Worlds.

Going through [reality TV programme] SAS: Who Dares Wins after winning the gold in Tokyo challenged my mind in a way that meant I realised the potential I had in my head. So when the hamstring injury struck I had to control the controllables. It was trying not to worry on the things I couldn’t affect but making sure I did what I could to make it to the start line.

That competition in Paris turned out to be one of my best as I had a clean scorecard up to 2.05m. I can take so much from that into both Kobe [World Championships] and Paris [Paralympics].

We are going to double periodise next year and aim for two peaks for both of those championships. Fortunately, I’ll have more competitions leading into the Paralympics.

How did the sharing of the two golds come about?

I think he [Lepiato] knew I was in a good place and if you look back my jump over 2.05m was a lot clearer than his was. He was straight up to say: “Should we share it brother?” I’d cramped up at an earlier height and I didn’t know, if I continued, that it might lead to something more serious.

I didn’t know how much more my body could take and at that point I was thinking, was it worth risking a gold medal or have this moment of camaraderie with a rival who has been there from my first day and share it? It was a beautiful moment as we’re the same age, have been in the sport for 11 years and have overcome Achilles injuries.

How does it feel to be defending champion going into the Paralympics?

You will only…