Meet the on air team, A-C

13 August 2012

Ade Adepitan

A legend of the wheelchair basketball court, Ade achieved a lifetime ambition when he made the 2000 Paralympics.

Four years later he won a bronze medal at the 2004 Games in Athens, nailing two free throws in the dying seconds to beat world champions the USA along the way.

He showed his penchant for the dramatics was no luck when he hit the winning shot in overtime for GB in the final of the Paralympic World Cup in 2005 to seal gold.

Since retiring from wheelchair basketball, Ade has transferred that success to the TV screen, presenting numerous shows on sport, wildlife and travel. And his competitive juices still flow freely when taking on co-presenter Rick Edwards on That Paralympic Show.

 

Did you know? Ade appeared in the film Freight, about a Russian gang in Leeds.

 

Career highlights

Bronze medal winner at 2004 Athens Paralympics

Gold medal winner at 2005 Paralympic World Cup

Awarded MBE in 2005

Given lifetime achievement award by the University of East London in 2010

 

Q&A

Q. Who do you think will be the star of the 2012 Paralympics?

A. The GB men's wheelchair basketball team have never won gold at the Paralympics. In fact we've only made one Paralympic final in the history of the Games. It's the toughest medal to win because you need all 12 players to be at their best. So if either the women or men win gold, they will make history.   

 

Q. Which event - or which athlete - are you most looking forward to watching and why?

A. As well as the basketball, the men's T44 100m final is one and I'm hoping Pete 'the Quadfather' Norfolk can three-peat and win three Paralympic quad tennis singles titles in a row.

 

Q. Which of the ParalympicsGB team do you think will surprise us?

A.  GB women's basketball. They've never won a Paralympic medal before but this could be their time. Especially with Helen Freeman, who's gonna light up the tournament!   

 

Q. What aspect of covering the Paralympics are you most excited about?

A. All of it. I'm nervous but really looking forward to it. It's in Stratford where I went to school. My mum lives across the road from the Olympic Park and a lot of my friends and family are around there so it will be incredible.   

 

Q. What is your biggest fear about the Games?

A. I just hope the public embrace the Paralympics with the same passion as they have for the Olympics.     

 

Q. Tell us something about another member of the C4Paralympics team.

A. Jordan plays for one of my first wheelchair basketball teams -  the Hackney Sparrows.

 

Q. The GB team won 42 golds last time, how many will they get at London 2012?

A. 50