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15 Facts About Maria Lyle

1.

Maria Lyle has spastic dipelgic cerebral palsy, attributed to her mother contracting shingles while pregnant with her.

2.

Maria Lyle is a former pupil of Dunbar Grammar School, having attended Oaklands College in Hertfordshire, graduating from the elite Oaklands Wolves Sports Academy in 2017.

3.

Maria Lyle is studying for a degree in sports coaching at Edinburgh Napier University on a dual career athlete programme under the UK government's Talented Athletes Scholarship Scheme.

4.

Maria Lyle won gold in the 100m with a time of 14.58, though this was classed as wind assisted so she could not claim it as a personal best.

5.

Maria Lyle was selected for her first major international when she represented Great Britain at the 2014 IPC Athletics European Championships in Swansea.

6.

Holt, a 14 year old from Australia, pushed Maria Lyle into second place with a world record sprint, though Maria Lyle's time of 29.32 was an official personal best and new European record.

7.

At the 2016 IPC Athletics European Championships in Grosseto Maria Lyle won three golds, in the T35 100m 200m - where she set a new championship record of 29.91s - and the T35-T38 4 x 100m relay, alongside Olivia Breen, Georgina Hermitage and Sophie Hahn.

8.

At the 2016 Summer Paralympics, Maria Lyle took individual bronze medals in the T35 100m and the 200m, and a silver as part of Team GB's T35-T38 4 x 100m relay squad.

9.

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Maria Lyle took a silver in the T35 100m.

10.

Maria Lyle was diagnosed with anxiety, which she overcame with the support of a specialist sports counsellor.

11.

At the 2018 World Para Athletics European Championships in Berlin, Maria Lyle successfully defended her T35 100m title.

12.

Maria Lyle was awarded British Athletics Young Paralympic Athlete of the Year in 2014.

13.

Maria Lyle was named Para Athlete of the Year at the Scottish Athletics annual awards in 2015 and 2019.

14.

Maria Lyle received the Findlay Calder trophy from Scottish Disability Sport in 2018 and 2020.

15.

Maria Lyle was named Glasgow Evening Times Young Scotswoman of the Year in 2019 for her athletics achievements and her work with disability and mental health charities.