A University of Wolverhampton graduate is celebrating an impressive international sporting achievement after helping England’s Para Lionesses secure a bronze medal at the 2026 IBSA Women’s Blind Football European Championship.
Caitlin Leigh, a recent Sports Therapy graduate and scholar athlete, proudly represented England’s Women’s Visually Impaired Football Team at the tournament in Istanbul, Türkiye, marking a memorable milestone in her sporting career.
The tournament, held from 3 to 7 October, saw England finish third in Europe following a dramatic bronze-medal match against the Para Neutral Team.
After the match finished 2-2, England held their nerve to secure bronze with a 2-0 victory in the penalty shootout.
Caitlin’s achievement marks a proud moment for the University of Wolverhampton and its sporting community, highlighting the success of a recent graduate competing on the international stage.
Caitlin said:
“Getting to represent England at the European championships was an absolute privilege, especially becoming part of the starting line up at my first major championships. Having only started blind football in my last year of university at UoW, the progress and journey in that short period of time has been incredible and I am so grateful to the university of Wolverhampton for the support in the start of my journey through the sport scholarship and my sports and exercise therapy course!
“Although bronze isn’t the medal we came for, next year is the world championships where our drive to bring home the gold medal is bigger than ever!”
Marie Woodward, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Therapy, University of Wolverhampton, added:
“We are incredibly proud of Caitlin and what she has achieved representing England on the international stage. Winning a European bronze medal is a fantastic accomplishment and reflects the commitment, resilience and determination needed to compete at this level.
“It is always wonderful to see our graduates succeeding after leaving Wolverhampton, and I’m sure Caitlin’s achievement will inspire our current students and other aspiring athletes.”
The University’s WLV Sport team is also sharing Caitlin’s achievement through its social media channels.
