Jones, the British wheelchair record holder over 400m and 5,000m in the T54 category, won a 1500m Commonwealth Games bronze in Glasgow last summer, before claiming silver and bronze medals at the European Championships in Swansea.  

She will be joining three-time Paralympic gold medallist Stephen Miller and wheelchair fencer Gemma Collis in Durham, with their attendance having already been confirmed.

The BPA-hosted event aims to encourage people with impairments of all ages to get more active, giving fans across the region the opportunity to meet the medallists, try the sports and get inspired.

Jones, who made her Paralympic debut at London 2012, revealed she was "delighted" to be part of the event, being held in the north-east of England for the first time.

"Sports Fest is a fantastic opportunity for people of any age to come along and find out what sport has to offer them," Jones said.

"It's a rare chance to try a wide range of Paralympic sports all under one roof, and hopefully that people that join us at Sports Fest will really make the most of the day, discover some new sports that they might enjoy and learn how they can take that forward."

Jones will be joined by triple Paralympic champion Stephen Miller and wheelchair fencer Gemma Collis at the event ©Getty Images





As part of the event, visitors will be able to attend "meet-the-medallists" sessions, which will allow them to collect autographs and have their photos taken with the athletes, as well as ask them questions. 

"I'm looking forward to meeting everyone who come to Sports Fest and I'll be more than happy to share some tips and talk about my experiences as a Paralympic athlete," confirmed Jones. 

The BPA are hoping that the Sports Fest, which has seen more than 2,500 people attend events since 2012, will build upon the enthusiasm shown by the British public during London 2012 and Sochi 2014, which saw record-breaking success for British athletes.

BPA chief executive Tim Hollingsworth echoed this view and welcomed Jones' participation.

"As one of the north-east's brightest sporting talents, Jade is the perfect athlete to complete our line-up of Sports Fest ambassadors for this event," he said.

"We're delighted by the response to the news that we are hosting our first Sports Fest in the region, and my hope is that this support will continue with lots of people taking up the opportunity to be part of it and get more involved in disability sport."

The free event will take place at Durham University, The Graham Sports Centre, Maiden Castle, Durham and the doors will be open from 10am until 5pm.

For more information and to sign up for the event, click here

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
January 2015: Triple Paralympic gold medallist to headline latest British Paralympic Association Sports Fest
April 2014: Manchester ParalympicsGB Sports Fest set to feature 24 sports
March 2014: Dame Sarah announced as ambassador for fourth ParalympicsGB Sports Fest
October 2013: ParalympicsGB Sports Fest in Worcester to feature London 2012 medallists
April 2013: ParalympicsGB Sports Fest praised as "fantastic success" by Cockroft