Hollie Arnold

Personal life Arnold was born in Lincolnshire in 1994, growing up in Holton-le-Clay. She was born without her right forearm. When attending a Star Track Athletics course during her Summer holidays she discovered an ability at the javelin. She joined Cleethorpes Athletic Club and began her career under the watchful eye of Olympic Javelin Thrower, Shelley Holroyd. She later moved to Hengoed in Wales to be near her former athletics coach.

Arnold is an ambassador for two charities: Caudwell Children and St. Andrews Hospice, in Grimsby where she was born.

Athletics career Her first disability sports event was at the age of 11, winning seven gold medals across several events. In 2008, at the age of 14, she was selected to represent Great Britain at the Summer Paralympic Games in Beijing, finishing 11th in the women's F42–46 javelin. She was the youngest member of the 2008 Great Britain team.

The following year she improved on her javelin medal when she took silver at the 2010 IWAS World Junior Championship and then took gold at the 2011 Championship which was held in Dubai. Her next chance for a major international medal came at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, where she threw a championship record distance of 40.53 to retain her gold medal.

In September 2016, Arnold won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro with a world record throw of 43.01 metres.

She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to field athletics.

In April 2018, Arnold won the gold medal with a world record throw of 44.43 metres at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, where she represented Wales.

In June 2021 she was among the first dozen athletes chosen to represent the UK at the postponed 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.

At the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships, Hollie won gold in the F46 Javelin Throw.

At the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships, Hollie won her sixth world title in the F46 Javelin throw, ahead of Saška Sokolov and Noëlle Roorda.

At the 2024 Summer Paralympics, held in Paris, France, Hollie won the bronze medal in the F46 Javelin Throw.