Sarah Stoney’s kids were overjoyed as they watched their mum win another Paralympic gold medal..
The 43-year-old clinched Team GB’s first medal of the Tokyo 2020 Games with an emphatic win in the cycling C5 3000m individual pursuit.
In a repeat of the all-British Rio 2016 final, Storey once more got the better of compatriot Crystal Lane-Wright.
The relentless defending champion laid down a marker on day one of Tokyo 2020 by shaving more than four seconds off her own world record in qualifying, powering over the line in 3:27.057.
Her husband and former Paralympian Barney Storey appeared on BBC Breakfast with their daughter Louisa, eight, and Charlie, four, to talk about their mother’s win, for which they had to wake up very early to watch.
“As soon as I woke up I was like ‘dad what are you doing’?” said Louisa, who stated she did want to get out of bed when her dad Barney woke her at 6am.
However, after watching Storey win the title, the excitement soon took over.
When asked if the early start was worth seeing her mum’s success, Louisa said gleefully: “It was totally worth it, and I was screaming my head off.”
When Charlie was asked how he felt, he closed his eyes as he shied away from the camera.
Barney, a three-time Paralympic gold medallist in his own right, beamed with pride while holding his son and daughter.
Post race, a delighted Storey said: “It's quite overwhelming. I don't know if it will sink in until I get home.
"I came here with a really solid plan of what I wanted to do and I've delivered it, so it kind of blows your mind a bit.
"I talked before about breaking your personal best, in my case a world record, a small margin at a time. And I just knocked 4.3 seconds off."
She added: "I've done so much training, and everyone's been reminding me how much work I've done and how I deserve to be that fast, but you don't like to presume. So it took me by surprise, but a good surprise.
"I think about one race at a time and maybe I'll think about these things afterwards. But it does feel pretty surreal."
In winning her country's first gold of the Games, Storey took her total haul to 15 Paralympic golds - one short of swimmer Mike Kenny's British record - and a remarkable 26 medals overall.
The 43-year-old will have a chance to surpass Kenny next week when she attempts to defend her C5 time trial and C4-5 road race crowns.
