James Roberts MCIAT, Paralympics GB gold medallist, honoured

Paralympic gold medallist James Roberts MBE was presented with an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Coventry University.

James, a Chartered Architectural Technologist, competed as part of the Paralympics GB Wheelchair Rugby Team, which won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.

James, who was awarded an MBE in 2022 for Services to Wheelchair Rugby, said:

It’s absolutely brilliant, it’s a real honour, it’s something that I’d never really thought or expected, but to have this from Coventry University, who welcomed me back after I got bacterial meningitis and had basically three years out of university, is brilliant.

James’ life changed forever after his first year at university in 2007 when he returned home to work with the family business over the summer.

After contracting bacterial meningitis, James was forced to undergo a life-changing double amputation, spending around two-and-a-half years in hospital.

Determined to continue his studies when he recovered, James returned to Coventry University to complete his degree in Architectural Design Technology, earning first-class honours and outstanding student of the year from CIAT.

A keen rugby player before his amputations, James never lost his passion for sport and when a nurse in hospital suggested he might have the potential to succeed in wheelchair rugby, he set his mind to competing.

Taking inspiration from Team GB at the 2012 Paralympic Games and supported by Coventry University’s Sports Scholarship Programme, he worked extremely hard to get into the Team GB wheelchair Rugby Development Squad.

Honing his game through competing in the US, James went on to be an integral part of the team, scoring an astounding 105 tries across Great Britain’s five matches at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

Since graduating in 2013, alongside his sporting achievements, James has pursued a successful career in architecture and now works as a Senior Chartered Architectural Technologist.

He continued: 

The whole university looks really good, you can see a lot of investment has gone in and I’ve had a great welcome here today. Coventry University has given me that absolute grounding in architectural design technology, I was lucky enough to get a placement here that was supported by the university. I’ve gone on to become a Chartered Architectural Technologist and now a passive house designer as well.