Paralympian Stephen Miller signs off on sparkling career at 'emotional' retirement event

Simon O'Rourke met Stephen Miller as he reflected on his distinguished career in sport.

Cramlington Para-athlete Stephen Miller paid an emotional farewell to his career in competitive sport as he marked his retirement.

An event was held at St James' Park in Newcastle to celebrate his career, which spanned decades and saw him become one of Britain's most decorated Para-athletes.

During his career, he has won 34 major international medals - including Paralympic golds in Atlanta, Sydney and Athens.

After making his Paralympics debut in 1996, Miller went on to represent Great Britain at six consecutive games, with his main event being the club throw.

Reflecting on his career, he said: "It's like This Is Your Life. It's very emotional, a bit surreal. To go back through my career was really great. I couldn't ask for a better end to my sports career.

"I'm retiring from sport, but not from life. So there's another challenge around the corner and I'll be approaching it in exactly the same way."

Among those sending messages of congratulations to Stephen were Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer and Geordie duo Ant and Dec.

Proceeds from the event at St James' Park went towards SMILE Through Sport, an organisation Stephen founded to promote inclusivity and engagement by providing opportunities for people with disabilities to get involved in sport.

He said: "I am very proud of how the Paralympics has developed and grown over the years, how the sport has become much more competitive. The performance levels keep getting higher and higher every four years and that's down to the dedication of the athletes.

"Hopefully I can support the charity to keep going and keep giving disabled people the opportunity to access sport in the North East."

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