Jake Lappin (athletics) competed at three Commonwealth Games in the men’s 1500m T54 and rates his most memorable achievement as the bronze medal he won in front of a home crowd at Gold Coast 2018 behind his hero Kurt Fearnley. He also contested the marathon T54 at his third Games in Birmingham where he narrowly missed the podium.

Jake started wheelchair racing in 2007, mixing track events with road races and burst onto the international scene when he made the final of the 1500m T54 at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games alongside Australian legends Kurt Fearnley AO and Richard Colman.

The following year, he competed at the first of six world championships, just missing the medals in the 800m in 2013 (5th) and 1500m in 2019 (6th).

He also competed at two Paralympic Games. At London 2012, Jake placed 7th in his heat of the 800m T54 and was disqualified in the 400m T54. Rio 2016 didn’t go as hoped either – after strong performances in the 400m T54 and 1500m T54, he was struck down by illness and withdrew from his final event, the 800m T54. He missed selection for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics but returned to the national team for his third Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022 and a sixth world championships in Paris in 2023, his 11th international team.