Former University of Leicester scholar Nick Cummins is preparing to compete for his second Paralympic gold this week in Paris.
Nick Cummins MBE won gold in dramatic fashion with his wheelchair rugby team-mates at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics – at a time when he was also studying for a PhD in history.
That victory three years ago (Tokyo was delayed due to the pandemic), in a close-fought 54-49 win over the USA, was an historic moment for the nation, as it was not only ParalympicsGB’s first-ever wheelchair rugby
Paralympic medal, but also the first Paralympic gold for the country in a team sport for 61 years.
Nick and his ParalympicsGB team-mates will begin defending their title with an opening fixture against Australia on Thursday 29 September. The competition reaches its climax on Monday 2 September with the gold medal game.
“It’s a great source of confidence for us to head into this tournament as the reigning champions as we know what it takes to win a tournament of this magnitude,” said Nick, who is a year shy of his 40th birthday.
He added: “After Tokyo, a number of players retired from the sport so we’ve had to rebuild the squad. We now have new players and new line-ups that we’ve integrated into our team so inevitably we’ve learnt new skills and changed the dynamic a little.
“That being said, we have a tried and tested philosophy of how we should play that we believe in. If we play to our full potential, we can beat anyone so that’s why we’re aiming for another gold.”
Nick contracted meningitis at 19 whilst an undergraduate at Leeds University, meaning he had to begin using a wheelchair. During his recovery he enjoyed watching the Beijing Paralympics and went on to try wheelchair basketball but found his strength better suited to wheelchair rugby and started playing in the development team aged 24. Nick was invited to the GB squad in 2014 and his Paralympic debut was that golden success in Tokyo, for which he received an MBE for his services.
This time around, Nick, who also plays for Leicester Tigers Wheelchair Rugby Club, doesn’t have to worry about any university assignment deadlines when he returns from the Paralympics. Although, he never found balancing elite sport with his studies too much of a problem.
“It was never really too difficult to juggle my sporting and academic pursuits because I was able to do my research around my rugby commitments,” said Nick.
“My supervisor was also very understanding and encouraging about my ambitions in sport. In fact, being a student at the university really helped my development as I was able to use its facilities as a training base and to work with my trainer Mark, who has been fantastic throughout my career. I also received a sports scholarship which helped me with funding, nutrition, physio and to develop skills for use after I had finished playing sport.”
He added: “In the aftermath of winning gold, there were lots of new opportunities to enjoy, but now life has returned back to normal. It didn’t feel weird to return to my PhD afterward, I was quite glad to focus my energy into something other than wheelchair rugby after the intensity of the competition and all the training leading up to it.”
Nick completed his PhD in 2022 and is set to fall back on his academic qualifications when the time comes to finally call time on his club and country career.
He said: “At the moment, I’m concentrating on my wheelchair rugby career. I believe my academic achievements will really help me in the future when I eventually move on from the sport.”
Whatever happens in Paris, Nick will always be part of Paralympic history.
He said: “It was an unforgettable feeling to win in Tokyo. It was really a sense of euphoria shared amongst all players and staff. Being a gold-medal winning Paralympian is something that will be part of my identity forever.”
