HEREFORDSHIRE based javelin thrower Daniel Pembroke has been named on the Queens’ New Year’s honours list for 2022.

Pembroke, who lives in Lower Bullingham, won Paralympic gold in the F13 category and expressed his adulation at receiving an MBE.

“The honour was such a big surprise for me, when the letter came through the post, I had to read it twice to confirm what my eyes were seeing," said Pembroke.

“This past year has been such a highlight in my life, winning the Paralympic Games with a Paralympic record and being immersed in the GB Paralympics team, which is filled with such amazing and inspirational people.

“These things alone made it an exceptional year but to the then be awarded the honour of MBE, well that sure is the best icing I've ever had on any cake.”

Pembroke, who has a degenerative sight condition and previously competed in able-bodied events, claimed victory in the F13 class with a gigantic throw of 69.52 metres.

Now he wants to throw further and battle with the able-bodied athletes for championships titles.

“I’ve been training really hard this winter so I can improve on my personal best of 69.52m,” he said.

“This year I hope to compete at the European Para-Athletics Championships and the World Para Championships.

“My goals are to break the F13 javelin world record which stands at 71.01m, and to compete in the able-bodied British Athletics championships in Manchester where I would like to make history in being the first Paralympian to win the able-bodied British championships.”

Pembroke first threw a javelin in school, visiting a club almost immediately afterwards and breaking the school record within two months of starting.

He was then diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition, at a the age of six but was told it would not affect him until late teenage years and early 20s.

The condition, affects around one in every 3,000 worldwide, is degenerative to sight as time progresses.

Pembroke then broke the UK’s age record for 14, 15, and 17 – with the latter leaving him the best in the world for his age.

In 2011 he threw 75.89m, which is still his able-bodied record to this day. The qualifying distance for the 2012 Olympics sat at 78m.

After travelling the world and settling in Sardinia, he re-discovered his passion for throwing the javelin.

He met fiancée Martina and excelled on the island by breaking their own record of 64m.

They both returned to the UK, and Pembroke to school by beginning to study sports therapy at the Royal National College for the blind in Hereford.

Pembroke was set to go for an international competition just before the pandemic, however when the Paralympics were postponed, he had to wait for his first event for over 18 months.

His first event was the Para Grand Prix in Italy, before being selected to represent Great Britain in the European Championships in Poland winning that event.

In the Paralympic Games a throw of threw 69.52m in the F13 final clinched him gold and a Paralympic record to his amazement, but he now has a further distance in mind.