Hollie Arnold facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hollie Arnold
MBE

Hollie Arnold with her 2016 Paralympic gold medal
Personal information
Birth name	Hollie Beth Arnold
Born	(1994-06-26) 26 June 1994 (age 30) Holton-le-Clay, Lincolnshire, England
Sport
Country	Great Britain  Wales
Sport	Para-athletics
Disability class	F46
Event(s)	Javelin
Club	Blackheath and Bromley AC
Coached by	Scott Knighton
Achievements and titles
Paralympic finals	2008, 2012, 2016, 2020
Highest world ranking	1st
Personal best(s)	Javelin 44.73m
Medal record Women's para-athletics Representing  Great Britain Paralympic Games Gold 2016 Rio Javelin throw – F46 Bronze 2020 Tokyo Javelin throw – F46 Bronze 2024 Paris Javelin throw – F46 World Championships Gold 2013 Lyon Javelin throw – F46 Gold 2015 Doha Javelin throw – F46 Gold 2017 London Javelin throw – F46 Gold 2019 Dubai Javelin throw – F46 Gold 2023 Paris Javelin throw – F46 Gold 2024 Kobe Javelin throw – F46 Bronze 2011 Christchurch Javelin throw – F46 European Championships Gold 2018 Berlin Javelin throw – F46 Silver 2012 Stadskanaal Javelin throw – F46 Representing  Wales Commonwealth Games Gold 2018 Gold Coast Javelin throw – F46

Hollie Beth Arnold, born on June 26, 1994, is a talented British athlete. She competes in para-athletics, specifically in the F46 javelin throw. This means she throws the javelin as a disabled athlete. Even though she was born in Grimsby, England, she now lives and trains in Loughborough. She also represents Wales in big events like the Commonwealth Games.

Hollie made history at just 14 years old. She was the youngest field athlete to compete in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. She even threw her personal best there! She continued to improve, setting another personal best at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. In 2016, at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, Hollie won a gold medal in the F46 javelin. She also set a new world record! Later, in 2021, she won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

In 2018, Hollie achieved something amazing. She became the first para javelin thrower to hold all four major titles at the same time. These included the Rio Paralympics (2016), London World Championships (2017), Berlin European Championships (2018), and Gold Coast Commonwealth Games (2018). She set world records at many of these events. In 2019, another athlete, Holly Robinson, broke Hollie's world record. Hollie has also won six world titles in a row, from 2013 to 2024.

About Hollie Arnold

Hollie Arnold was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1994. She grew up in a place called Holton-le-Clay. Hollie was born without her right forearm.

How Hollie Started Javelin Throwing

During a summer holiday sports course, Hollie discovered she was good at javelin. She joined the Cleethorpes Athletic Club. There, she started her training with Shelley Holroyd, who was an Olympic javelin thrower. Later, Hollie moved to Hengoed in Wales to be closer to her coach. In 2017, she moved again to train at Loughborough University.

Hollie on TV

In November 2020, Hollie took part in a famous TV show. It was called I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. She was the first person to leave the show that season.

Hollie's Charity Work

Hollie is also a special helper, called an ambassador, for two charities. These charities are Caudwell Children and St. Andrews Hospice. The hospice is in Grimsby, where Hollie was born.

Hollie's Athletics Journey

Hollie's first disability sports event was when she was 11 years old. She won seven gold medals in different events!

Early Paralympic and World Championships

In 2008, when she was 14, Hollie was chosen to represent Great Britain. She competed at the Summer Paralympic Games in Beijing. She finished 11th in the F42–46 javelin event. She was the youngest person on the Great Britain team that year.

The next year, in 2009, she won her first important medals. She competed in the IWAS World Junior Championships in Switzerland. She won a silver medal in discus and a bronze medal in javelin. After 2009, Hollie decided to focus only on javelin.

Medals and Records

In 2010, she won a silver medal in javelin at the IWAS World Junior Championship. In 2011, she won gold at the same championship in Dubai. Also in 2011, Hollie started competing at the senior level. She represented Britain at the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships in New Zealand. She won a bronze medal in the F46 javelin.

In 2012, she won a silver medal at the IPC Championships. Her personal best throw in F46 javelin was 35.88 meters in June 2012. This made her the world's second-best in her event before the 2012 Paralympics. At the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, she threw even further, reaching 36.27 meters. On July 22, 2013, Hollie won a gold medal at the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon. She threw 37.45 meters, which was a new personal best.

Challenges and Triumphs

In 2014, Hollie was getting ready for the 2014 IPC Athletics European Championships in Swansea. She hoped to win a gold medal after getting silver two years before. But just weeks before the event, she learned her F46 event was removed. There were not enough competitors.

Her next big chance for a medal was at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha. She threw 40.53 meters, which was a championship record. This helped her win another gold medal.

In September 2016, Hollie won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. She set a new world record with a throw of 43.01 meters.

Honors and Continued Success

In 2017, Hollie was given a special award. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This was to recognize her great achievements in athletics.

In April 2018, Hollie won another gold medal. This was at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. She set a new world record of 44.43 meters. She represented Wales at this event.

In June 2021, Hollie was one of the first athletes chosen to represent the UK. This was for the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo, which were delayed.

At the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships, Hollie won gold in the F46 Javelin Throw.

At the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships, Hollie won her sixth world title. She won the F46 Javelin throw, beating Saška Sokolov and Noëlle Roorda.

At the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, France, Hollie won a bronze medal in the F46 Javelin Throw.

See also

In Spanish: Hollie Arnold para niños