Salford wheelchair racer Maguire defended his T54 1500m title from Birmingham, edging team-mate Daniel Sidbury and Australia’s Sam Rizzo in a thrilling race that went to the wire.
And he was cheered all the way to the line by wife Hannah Cockroft, the nine-time Paralympic gold medallist, and their three-month-old daughter Rosie.
“Winning as a dad makes it even more special,” said Maguire, one of 251 Team England athletes here in Glasgow, all of whom benefit from crucial National Lottery funding.
“Coming off the final bend, I looked up and saw Hannah holding Rosie up in the air. That’s what I’m doing it for. She’s going to have the best life, travelling around with us and growing up at athletics tracks. For as long as I can keep competing, she’ll be coming with us everywhere.
“Rosie’s actually not sleeping too badly. She wakes up two or three times a night. Hannah’s breastfeeding, so she does the night feeds because there’s not much I can do and my shift starts around 4am.
“They’ve been up here since Sunday and I only arrived on Wednesday, so this is probably the best night’s sleep I’ve had in about three months but it’s been a really special time.
“This is the first championships where I’ve competed and Hannah hasn’t. It’s actually harder to watch than it is to compete. When I’m watching Hannah, I get so nervous, and she was exactly the same today. I saw her before I went to the call room and she was more nervous than I was.”
Maguire’s preparations for Glasgow were not just interrupted by his family’s new arrival but also an injury that kept him off the track for 12 weeks, admitting he didn’t really know what shape he’d be in when lining up at Scotstoun.
His only disappointment is there will be no chance to test his form against the best in Europe this summer, after no hosts were found for the European Championships, which have now not been held since 2021.
It remains the biggest problem in para sport, the lack of high-profile and meaningful competitions outside the Paralympics and World Championships, which only underlines the importance of the Commonwealth Games.
“I’m in pretty good shape despite everything that’s happened this year, and I’ve never been European champion. I’d have loved the chance to go for that title,” he added.
“The Europeans were always the competition where you could experiment a bit more, learn, train and try new things. You weren’t taking a back seat, but you had the freedom to develop. We’re just not getting that opportunity at the moment.”
“My psychologist has been amazing throughout the last few years and it’s so important to have the right support around you. Having the right people around you makes such a difference. When you’re happy and confident, that’s when you perform at your best.”
Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £33m is raised every week for good causes. It’s because of you that sport, arts, heritage and community projects, as well as our athletes competing at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, are supported across the UK.