Perri Shakes-Drayton

Peirresha Alexandra Shakes-Drayton (born 21 December 1988) is a British retired track and field athlete. After specialising in the 400 metres hurdles in the early part of her career, a knee injury at the 2013 World Championships forced Shakes-Drayton to concentrate on the 400 metres on her return to athletics.^[2] She is the 2013 European Indoor Champion in the 400 metres and won a 2012 World Indoor Championship gold medal in the 4 × 400 metres relay. She has also won silver and bronze medals in the 4 × 400 m relay at the World Championships.

Perri Shakes-Drayton

Perri Shakes-Drayton in 2010
Personal information
Born	(1988-12-21) 21 December 1988 (age 36)[1] London, England
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight	66 kg (146 lb)
Sport
Sport	Women's athletics
Club	Victoria Park Harriers and Tower Hamlets
Achievements and titles
Personal bests	400 m hurdles: 53.67s (2013) 400 m: 50.50s (2013) 60 m: 7.44s (2009)
Medal record Representing  Great Britain World Championships 2017 London 4 × 400 m 2011 Daegu 4 × 400 m World Indoor Championships 2012 Istanbul 4 × 400 m 2010 Doha 4 × 400 m Diamond League 2012 400 m hurdles European Championships 2010 Barcelona 400 m hurdles 2010 Barcelona 4 × 400 m European Indoor Championships 2013 Gothenburg 400 m 2013 Gothenburg 4 × 400 m European U23 Championships 2009 Kaunas 400 m hurdles European Junior Championships 2007 Hengelo 400 m hurdles

Early life and education

Shakes-Drayton was born in east London to parents from Grenada and grew up in Bow, where she continues to reside.^[3] She attended Holy Family R.C. Primary School in Poplar and Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School in Stepney.^[3] She studied sports science at Brunel University,^[3] where she graduated with a 2:1.

Athletics career

Shakes-Drayton (lane 2) at the 2010 Josef Odložil Memorial in Prague, where she finished second in 55.28 s.

Shakes-Drayton came to prominence at the English Schools Championships where she set a UK junior record time in the 400 m hurdles.^[4] She made her first major international appearance at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics where she finished eighth, achieving a new personal best of 57.52 seconds.^[5] She took the silver medal at the 2007 European Athletics Junior Championships with a time of 56.46 s, a national junior record in the event.^[6][7]

Shakes-Drayton won the 400 m hurdles at the 2008 Olympic Games GB trials, but veteran Tasha Danvers was instead chosen to represent Great Britain, and went on to win the bronze medal.^[8] Despite the non-selection, Shakes-Drayton was considered to be a medal prospect for the next Olympics in 2012.^[5] At the 2009 British Championships in Birmingham, she finished second in the 400 metres behind reigning world champion Christine Ohuruogu, setting a new personal best. Further success came on the junior circuit at the 2009 European Athletics U23 Championships, where she won the 400 m hurdles gold medal with a run of 55.26 seconds, another personal best. Having secured a place on the Great Britain team, she set her sights on the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, remarking: "I like people talking about me. It means I must be doing some things right. Now I have to live up to the hype because hype is pointless if you don't live up to it."^[9]

She ran at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin and reached the semi-finals of the competition. However, she finished seventh in the race with a time of 57.57 seconds and did not compete in the final. She ran a personal best of 54.91 seconds for the 400 m hurdles to win at the Memorial Primo Nebiolo in June 2010.^[10]

In the absence of Tasha Danvers, Shakes-Drayton and Eilidh Child were the sole representatives for Great Britain at the 2010 European Athletics Championships. Shakes-Drayton finished 2nd in her heat, with a time of 55.35. She then finished 3rd in her semi-final to qualify for the final in a new personal best of 54.73. In the final she finished third to win the bronze medal with a new personal best of 54.18.

Perri Shakes-Drayton after winning a 400 m match during the 2013 Loughborough International Athletics

At the 2012 London Grand Prix, the final Diamond League meeting prior to the 2012 London Olympic Games, Shakes-Drayton recorded another personal best for the 400 m hurdles of 53.77, a time that put her second in the world rankings for the year and also made her the second-fastest British athlete of all time in the event, behind only Sally Gunnell.^[11] However, in the Olympic 400 m hurdles she was unable to reach the final, finishing third in her semi-final heat.^[12] She was also part of the GB 4 × 400 m relay team which finished fifth in the final of that event.^[13]

At the 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Gothenburg, Shakes-Drayton went on to win gold in the Women's 400 m final with a Personal Best of 50.85, ahead of another Great Britain runner Eilidh Child. She was also part of the Women's 4 × 400 m team (along with Eilidh Child, Shana Cox and Christine Ohuruogu) that won gold at the same championships.^[14]

In 2020, she announced her retirement from her athletics career.^[15]

Personal life

Shakes-Drayton married high-jump athlete Mike Olayemi Edwards in London in June 2019. Shakes-Drayton gave birth to her first child with Edwards on 26 August 2020.^[16] Shakes-Drayton is an honorary member of Zeta Phi Beta sorority; she was inducted on July 27, 2024, at the sorority's Boulé in Indianapolis, Indiana.^[17]

In 2018, Shakes-Drayton took part in the tenth series of the ITV show Dancing on Ice.

Personal bests

Event	Time (sec)	Location	Date
60 metres	7.44	London, United Kingdom	18 January 2009[18]
400 metres	50.50	Gateshead, United Kingdom	22 June 2013[19]
400 metres hurdles	53.67	London, United Kingdom	26 July 2013
400 metres (indoor)	50.85	Gothenburg, Sweden	3 March 2013