Having to wait until the final weekend of 2024 Paris Paralympics for her two shots at the podium put an additional weight of expectation on Emma Wiggs.
The British paracanoeist let the relief show with a few tears after successfully defending her va’a (VL2) Paralympics title.
Wiggs clutched her gold medal tightly and the next day, she had a kayak (KL2) silver to show for her efforts too, just like in Tokyo three years ago.
She’s now back home in the village near Nottingham where she lives with her wife, Gem, who was in Paris with friends and family as a passionate supporter and as a ParalympicsGB staff member.
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This week, the couple are celebrating their ninth wedding anniversary.
Marking the occasion via Instagram, Emma posted a touching tribute to the “love of my life” who continues to be a huge inspiration.
“I absolutely would not have even made it to Paris without you, let alone paddle without fear in those races, knowing you would be there at the finish regardless of what happened,” wrote Emma.
“To see you shine so bright working for ParalympicsGB and to share Paris 2024 with you was beyond my wildest dreams.”
She added: “The gold and silver medals are for you.”
The two women met towards the beginning of Emma’s elite para-sports journey. She was still working as a P.E. teacher while playing sitting volleyball, in which she would compete at her first Paralympics at London 2012. At the time, Gem was in an events role at Volleyball England.
Until that point, Emma had prioritized her teaching career. Her life had changed unexpectedly at the age of 18 during a gap year in Australia, when she contracted a virus that left her with irreparable nerve damage in her legs.
Dating Gem was also a voyage of discovery for Emma. Entering her 30s and looking forward to a Paralympic Games in her home country, she hadn’t been expecting to fall into a same-sex relationship.
After the London Games, she switched sports to paracanoeing and success soon followed, with her first European and world titles secured in 2013.
Emma became a full-time athlete and was a four-time world champion when she married Gem in September 2015. Their wedding day was held only 18 months after England had put equal marriage into effect.
At Rio 2016, Emma claimed her first Paralympics gold medal in KL2, and a few months later, she was made an MBE for services to canoeing.
An in-demand motivational speaker and mentor, she has used her platform as an athlete to speak up for LGBTQ inclusion in sports and for human rights, such as around the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar.
Emma was one of the 19 Team LGBTQ athletes at the Paris Paralympics to collect medals and has vowed to continue on to Los Angeles 2028, when she will be 48.
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“I don’t think about my age, it’s just a number and I’m still competitive against the fastest girls in the world. Why stop? L.A. sounds nice,” she told the i paper.
Her sporting commitments mean she often doesn’t get to spend her wedding anniversary with Gem.
“We’ve spent about three actually together but I have never felt more in love with you,” wrote Emma on Instagram.
The beauty of their bond is a reminder of the importance of visibility, hopefully giving other LGBTQ athletes the confidence to follow their hearts as well as their dreams.
“You amaze me, you make me proud, you complete me,” added Emma in her message to Gem. “Everything we achieve is because of you and our love.”
