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DAVIES Aled
Sport Para athletics
NPC Great Britain   
GenderMen
Age30
Place of BirthBridgend, WAL
Human Interest
Impairment Information
Type of Impairment
 Impaired range of motion
Origin of Impairment
 Congenital
Classification
 F42
Further Personal Information
Family
 Partner Isabelle, daughter Phoebe [2019]
Residence
 Wales
Occupation
 Athlete, Motivational Speaker
Languages
 English, Welsh
Higher education
 Sports Management - Cardiff Metropolitan University: Wales
Sport Specific Information
When and where did you begin this sport?
 He took up athletics at age 14 in Cardiff, Wales.
Why this sport?
 He was a keen rugby player and swimmer as a child, but he also felt that his impairment would stop him reaching his full potential. He was inspired to try athletics after watching the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens.
Club / Team
 Cardiff: Wales
Name of coach
 Ryan Spencer-Jones [personal], GBR, from 2014
Senior International Debut
Year
 2010
Competing for
 Great Britain
Tournament
 World Cup
Location
 Manchester, ENG
General Interest
Nicknames
 The Bear, Polish [because he has trained with the Polish able-bodied squad]. (walesonline.co.uk, 23 Dec 2014; Athlete, 07 Dec 2010)
Hobbies
 Football, rugby, surfing, playing video games. (Facebook page, 12 Nov 2019)
Most influential person in career
 Coach Anthony Hughes. (walesonline.co.uk, 23 Dec 2014)
Injuries
 He underwent hernia surgery in July 2015, and was unable to compete at the Anniversary Games in London, England. (bbc.co.uk, 17 Jul 2015)

He required an operation on a long-standing foot injury between the 2013 and 2014 athletics seasons. (bbc.co.uk, 08 Apr 2014)

He tore the ligaments in his knee in 2009. (Athlete, 07 Dec 2010)
Sporting philosophy / motto
 "Wing it." (Athlete, 07 Dec 2010)
Awards and honours
 He was named the International Paralympic Committee [IPC] Athlete of the Month for May 2014. (paralympic.org, 11 Jun 2014)

In May 2014 he carried the Queen's Baton atop of Mount Snowdon in Wales, as part of the relay ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. He was later named captain of the Welsh squad for the Games. (insidethegames.biz, 31 May 2014; bbc.co.uk, 11 Jun 2014)

He was named Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire [MBE] in the 2013 New Year's Honours list. (walesonline.co.uk, 04 May 2013)
Ambitions
 To win a gold medal at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (dai-sport.com, 30 Jan 2019; 218 Events YouTube channel, 06 Nov 2020)
Impairment
 He has limited movement in his right leg as he is missing bones and has no muscle or articulation from foot to hip. He wears a leg brace while competing. (dai-sport.com, 30 Jan 2019; aleddavies-f42.co.uk, 11 Jan 2015; Athlete, 07 Dec 2010)
Other information
 COVID-19 IMPACT
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 he constructed a makeshift throwing facility in his back garden. "When everything was announced that everything was closing I panicked because I was like, 'How am I going to train for this in my back garden?' That was the problem we had. I quickly resourced everything I could. I've got two big apple trees in my garden, I tied a cargo net between them, reinforced it with some steel and it takes a good impact from the shot. It's not ideal but it was better than nothing and it was enough to help me tick over and not get too rusty." (bbc.co.uk, 29 Jan 2021; 218 Events YouTube channel, 06 Nov 2020)

FATHERHOOD
He says that becoming a father for the first time in 2019 gave him renewed motivation for competition. "[Fatherhood is] the only motivation you need. I don't do this for me now - I've achieved everything I've wanted to achieve. Golds at every tournament and world records, so if I can keep on dominating as long as possible and show that beautiful little girl how it is done, then that's great." (athleticsweekly.com, 10 Nov 2019)

NEW LEG BRACE
The leg brace he wears to compete broke twice while he was competing at the 2018 European Championships in Berlin, Germany, and had to be taped up mid-competition. He has since started using a different type of brace. "We've been struggling to find the correct one; to be back where we were when I was throwing my furthest. It's the hardest part for me. A lot of people don't realise how frustrating it is when I'm physically ready to go and I know I'm hitting all my targets, I'm stronger and quicker than ever. I know I'm in shape to throw big. I'm wearing an orthotic that weighs 12 kilos now, which is about two stone. Having that extra weight on has been tough to get used to, but it's working and we're finally moving in the right direction." (dai-sport.com, 30 Jan 2019)

POST-GAMES DEPRESSION
He won his second Paralympic gold medal at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, but found it difficult to get back into a routine once he returned to the United Kingdom. He later revealed that he had experienced depression, and that he had considered quitting the sport in 2017. "I just really struggled, everything was perfect but I seemed very unhappy and I got myself into a rut that I couldn't get out of. It has opened up my mind to mental health and I'm all for raising awareness of it now. I can't stress enough how important it is to talk to people. It's okay to talk, you're not weak." (bbc.com, 23 Feb 2018; paralympic.org, 16 May 2017; bbc.co.uk, 08 Oct 2019)

Competition Highlights (historical)
Paralympic Games
Rank Year Event Result
3 2012 Shot Put F42/44 13.78
1 2012 Discus Throw F42 46.14
1 2016 Shot Put F42 15.97
1 2021 Shot Put F63 15.33
World Championships
Rank Year Event Result
4 2011 Shot Put F42 12.84
3 2011 Discus Throw F42 41.56
1 2013 Shot Put F42 14.71
1 2013 Discus Throw F42 47.62
1 2015 Shot Put F42 14.95
1 2015 Discus Throw F42 49.59
1 2017 Discus Throw F42 51.54
1 2017 Shot Put F42 17.52
1 2019 Shot Put F63 15.32
Commonwealth Games
Rank Year Event Result
2 2014 Discus Throw F42/44 46.83
European Championships
Rank Year Event Result
1 2014 Shot Put F42 13.66
1 2014 Discus Throw F42 46.46
1 2016 Shot Put F42 16.11
1 2016 Discus Throw F42 54.14
1 2018 Discus Throw F63 50.55
1 2018 Shot Put F63 15.49
1 2021 Shot Put F63 15.17