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Paralympic gold medallist and Coventry University graduate James Roberts MBE is to be recognised with an Honorary Doctorate for his sporting excellence.
James competed as part of the Paralympics GB Wheelchair Rugby Team which won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games and is to be presented with the honour from Coventry University during a ceremony on Tuesday 16 July.
James, who was awarded an MBE in 2022 for Services to Wheelchair Rugby, said: “I’m absolutely shocked to be given an Honorary Doctorate but it’s a huge honour and it means so much coming from Coventry University which I’ve got such a connection to.
“I was determined to come back to Coventry when I’d recovered. I’ve always thought this was such a brilliant place, arriving from the Welsh borders it was such a change of pace coming here and everybody was so helpful and encouraging when I was ill and when I returned to study.”
James’ life changed forever after his first year at university in 2007 when he returned home to work with the family business over the summer.
After contracting bacterial meningitis, James was forced to undergo a life-changing double amputation, spending around two-and-a-half years in hospital.
Determined to continue his studies when he recovered, James returned to Coventry University to complete his degree in Architectural Design Technology, earning first-class honours and outstanding student of the year from the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologies.
A keen rugby player before his amputations, James never lost his passion for sport and when a nurse in hospital suggested he might have the potential to succeed in wheelchair rugby, he set his mind to competing.
Taking inspiration from Team GB at the 2012 Paralympic Games and supported by Coventry University’s Sports Scholarship Programme, he worked extremely hard to get into the Team GB wheelchair Rugby Development Squad.
Honing his game through competing in the US, James went on to be an integral part of the team, scoring an astounding 105 tries across Great Britain’s five matches at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
James said: “Wheelchair rugby is a completely different sport to rugby – obviously there is some crossover with developing spatial awareness but I had to work really, really hard to be able to compete at the level required at a Paralympics.
“I wasn’t a natural and you’re using totally different muscles. When we won the Gold for Paralympics GB it felt like a huge relief, there had been so much uncertainty because of Covid and I knew this would be my final Games, it just felt like the best possible way to bow out.
“I’m so happy to be given this award – it would be strange coming from any other university.”
Since graduating in 2013, alongside his sporting achievements, James has pursued a successful career in architecture and now works as a Senior Chartered Architectural Technologist.
To find out more about Sports Scholarships at Coventry University, visit https://www.coventry.ac.uk/life-on-campus/student-life/sport-coventry/sports-scholarships/
Also receiving an Honorary Doctorate from Coventry University this month is Clare Wightman, the CEO of city-based Grapevine which helps people experiencing isolation, poverty and disadvantage to build better lives.
Clare has been in the role since 2000 and will become a Doctor of Letters in recognition of her exceptional contribution to enhancing the lives and well-being of marginalised individuals and communities in Coventry and Warwickshire.
She said: “I am absolutely delighted. You don’t get into this sort of work for the prizes but it is lovely to get that recognition especially with it being the charity’s 30th anniversary this year.
“When the charity was set up it was a drop-in centre for people with learning disabilities and was run by volunteers and was ambitious. While charity has evolved, we have stayed true to that ethos that things need to be driven by people’s own input and involvement. What people most need is in communities, friendships and their relationships with others.”
Suzanne Rastrick has spent the last decade as NHS England’s Chief Allied Health Professions Officer where she has flown the flag for professions such as paramedics, therapists and radiographers. She was given an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2019 and will be given an Honorary Doctorate of Science in recognition of significant contribution to Allied Health by Coventry University.
Professor Suzanne Rastrick, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer for England, said: “While the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science is given for my contribution to Allied Health, the recognition of our Allied Health Professions Strategy for England and work to promote inclusivity within the community is sincerely appreciated.
“In England the community of 14 allied health professions are the third largest workforce in health and care services and I am particularly looking forward to the graduation day as Coventry University is a key provider of pre-registration degree programmes for a significant number of these professions.
“I will be delighted to witness the proud moment that AHP graduates at the University formally begin their professional careers, supporting people and communities in England in every health and care setting, including pre-hospital, diagnostics, public health, mental health and learning disabilities.”
About Coventry University
Coventry University is a global, modern university with a mission of creating better futures. We were founded by entrepreneurs and industrialists in 1843 as the Coventry School of Design and we continue to work with businesses to ensure we provide job-ready graduates with the skills and creative thinking to improve their communities.
With a proud tradition of innovative teaching and learning, Coventry University is now one of the largest in the UK and has world-class campus facilities, the UK’s first standalone 5G network and a digital community of learning. Our students are part of a global network that has 50,000 learners studying Coventry University degrees in more than 40 different countries and partnerships with 150 higher education providers worldwide.
Over two centuries, we have flourished in our home city and Coventry University Group now also delivers access to our range of high-quality services and partnerships through bases in London, Scarborough, Belgium, Poland, Egypt, Dubai, Singapore and Africa. From September 2023, we will be teaching students at a new campus in China in a joint institution with Communication University of China.
We have greatly increased our research capacity and capability with a focus on impactful research, delivered for and with partners to address real-world challenges and support the sustainable growth of business and communities. The depth and breadth of our rapidly growing research portfolio was validated by the latest UK research assessment, which saw us jump 22 places in the research power rankings.
We were awarded a Gold rating in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework, proving we deliver excellence in what students care most about – teaching, learning and achieving positive outcomes from their studies. In 2022, we were honoured with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of International Trade, the UK’s most prestigious business award. In recent years, we have won many awards and vastly improved our rankings in the league tables that matter to students – but what matters to us is delivering transformational change for our students, partners and communities around the world as we continue to evolve into a global education group.
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