Reid’s London calling leads to Muller Anniversary Games
And the sixth edition of the meet will see five para events take centre stage at the London Stadium from 20-21 July, with Reid and two-time Paralympic champion Jonnie Peacock set to star.
The chance to shine in Stratford means so much to Reid, who became long jump world champion in the capital in 2017 and claimed silver from the 2012 showpiece.
“For me, the Muller Anniversary Games is another opportunity to relive the moments of London 2012,” said the 34-year-old.
“It’s an opportunity for me to move forward. The quality of the meet affects how I perform and I love performing on a big stage.
“It just really sets me up for my season going forward.
“The way that the Muller Anniversary Games is integrated with the Paralympic sports is great, but it’s also unusual. Most meets put them at the beginning, or at the end of their programme.
“But at the Muller Anniversary Games, para-athletes feel really, really celebrated. For them, it’s not an issue, it’s just sport and we’re just athletes.
“It sends a powerful message to everyone watching, that this is about making the most of what we have and celebrating that.”
Reid still juggles competing on the track and in the pit, clocking 29.49s over 200m and jumping 5.49m at the World Para Athletics Championships in Berlin.
And husband Brent Lakatos, a seven-time Paralympic medallist, is also planning a tilt at Tokyo from the pair’s joint base in Loughborough.
Reid has a vibrant life away from her sport, memorably reaching the final of the 2018 edition of Celebrity Masterchef, and recalls just how significant 2012 felt to para-athletes.
“It was a defining moment for para-sport across the world,” she said.
“I remember a lot of our coaches were trying to prepare us for what it would be like to step into a full stadium in front of 80,000 people.
“At times it was almost painted as a daunting picture, as scary, but I walked out there and have never felt so at home.
“To have 80,000 people cheering for you. It was just the most fun I’d ever had.”
Tickets for the Müller Anniversary Games are now on sale at www.britishathletics.org.uk.