Katarina Johnson-Thompson has remembered her late dad in an emotional on-screen moment. The Olympic athlete is looking into her family heritage in a new episode of BBC's Who Do You Think You Are?
During the episode, Katarina, 33, who grew up with her mum in Liverpool, visits the Bahamas to learn about her dad's family, after his death in 2017. He died aged 59, having lived in the Bahamas and apart from Katarina since she was just a year old.
A heartwarming memory
In a clip shared ahead of the episode airing, Katarina's mum Tracey spoke about the moment she met her dad Ricardo. Former dancer Tracey explained: "I went to dance in a show at the Crystal Palace Casino and I used to get this little bus, which was a free bus for all the workers. Your dad used to get the bus as well, so that's how we originally met."
She went on: "At first we were really good friends, he came across as a kind, generous person. It was around Christmas time, we were on the bus, I happened to mention that I was quite homesick for Christmas. The next day, there was a knock on my door, and as I opened my apartment door, all you could see was this great big tree. And then this face came around, that's when he won my heart and before long, everything happened very, very quickly."
"We're both so happy there," she added, looking back on a picture of their wedding day. Katarina added: "The smile is definitely how I remember him, this full beam."
A difficult loss
The athlete has previously spoken about the relationship she had with her dad, and the "difficult" time she faced after his death. "What happened with my dad is why I have been so switched on in competitions," she told The Daily Mail. "He didn't see me win and that has actually made me want to win in front of my mum even more, if that makes sense. She comes to see me in every single competition and I always feel for her when I don't do well, or I let myself down, or I don't reach my potential."
She later told the Guardian: "I am proud of myself because there have been some hard and difficult times. But dad definitely spurred me on this year. I wanted to start winning things. I wanted my family to see me doing well. And I think I have done that for sure."
Who Do You Think You Are? airs at 9pm on Thursday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
