Perri Shakes-Drayton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Perri Shakes-Drayton

Perri Shakes-Drayton in 2010
Personal information
Born	(1988-12-21) 21 December 1988 (age 36) London, England
Height	1.72 m
Weight	66 kg
Sport
Sport	Women's athletics
Club	Victoria Park Harriers and Tower Hamlets
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	400 m hurdles: 53.67s (2013) 400 m: 50.50s (2013) 60 m: 7.44s (2009)
Medal record Representing  Great Britain World Championships Silver 2017 London 4 × 400 m Bronze 2011 Daegu 4 × 400 m World Indoor Championships Gold 2012 Istanbul 4 × 400 m Bronze 2010 Doha 4 × 400 m Diamond League Silver 2012 400 m hurdles European Championships Bronze 2010 Barcelona 400 m hurdles Silver 2010 Barcelona 4 × 400 m European Indoor Championships Gold 2013 Gothenburg 400 m Gold 2013 Gothenburg 4 × 400 m European U23 Championships Gold 2009 Kaunas 400 m hurdles European Junior Championships Silver 2007 Hengelo 400 m hurdles

Peirresha Alexandra Shakes-Drayton (born on December 21, 1988) is a British athlete who used to compete in track and field events. She first focused on the 400 metres hurdles. Later, after a knee injury at the 2013 World Championships, she switched to the 400 metres race.

Perri won a gold medal at the 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships in the 400 metres. She also earned a gold medal at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships as part of the 4 × 400 metres relay team. She has also won silver and bronze medals in the 4 × 400 metres relay at the World Championships.

In 2018, Perri appeared on the TV show Dancing on Ice. In 2023, she was on Richard Osman's House of Games.

Early Life and Education

Perri Shakes-Drayton was born in east London. Her parents are from Grenada. She grew up in Bow, where she still lives.

She went to Holy Family R.C. Primary School in Poplar. Then she attended Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School in Stepney. Perri studied sports science at Brunel University. She graduated with a good degree.

Athletics Career Highlights

Perri Shakes-Drayton became well-known at the English Schools Championships. There, she set a new UK junior record in the 400 metres hurdles. Her first big international competition was the 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics. She finished eighth and set a new personal best time of 57.52 seconds.

She won a silver medal at the 2007 European Athletics Junior Championships. Her time of 56.46 seconds was a national junior record.

Olympic Trials and Early Success

Perri Shakes-Drayton (lane 2) at the 2010 Josef Odložil Memorial in Prague. She finished second in this race.

Perri won the 400 metres hurdles at the 2008 Olympic Games GB trials. However, another athlete, Tasha Danvers, was chosen for Great Britain. Danvers went on to win a bronze medal at the Olympics. Even though Perri wasn't chosen, people thought she could win a medal at the 2012 Olympics.

At the 2009 British Championships in Birmingham, she came second in the 400 metres race. She finished behind the world champion, Christine Ohuruogu, and set a new personal best time. Perri also won a gold medal at the 2009 European Athletics U23 Championships. She ran the 400 metres hurdles in 55.26 seconds, which was another personal best.

She was excited to compete at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin. She said she liked people talking about her because it meant she was doing well. She wanted to live up to the excitement.

World Championships and European Medals

At the 2009 World Championships, Perri reached the semi-finals. She finished seventh in her race and did not make it to the final. In June 2010, she won the 400 metres hurdles at the Memorial Primo Nebiolo. She set a personal best of 54.91 seconds.

At the 2010 European Athletics Championships, Perri and Eilidh Child were the only British athletes in their event. Perri finished third in the final, winning a bronze medal. She set a new personal best time of 54.18 seconds.

Perri Shakes-Drayton after winning a 400 m match during the 2013 Loughborough International Athletics.

At the 2012 London Grand Prix, Perri set another personal best in the 400 metres hurdles. Her time of 53.77 seconds made her the second-fastest British athlete ever in that event. Only Sally Gunnell had run faster.

However, at the 2012 London Olympics, she did not reach the final of the 400 metres hurdles. She was also part of the British 4 × 400 metres relay team, which finished fifth.

European Indoor Champion

At the 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Gothenburg, Perri won a gold medal in the Women's 400 metres final. She set a personal best of 50.85 seconds. Another British runner, Eilidh Child, came in second.

Perri was also part of the Women's 4 × 400 metres team that won gold at the same championships. Her teammates were Eilidh Child, Shana Cox, and Christine Ohuruogu.

Perri announced her retirement from athletics in 2020.

Personal Life

Perri Shakes-Drayton married high-jump athlete Mike Olayemi Edwards in London in June 2019. They welcomed their first child on August 26, 2020.

Perri is an honorary member of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority. She joined the sorority on July 27, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Personal Bests

See also

In Spanish: Perri Shakes-Drayton para niños