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Dame Tanni Carys Davina Grey-Thompson DBE (born 26 July 1969 in Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh athlete and TV presenter.
Career
Born with spina bifida, Grey-Thompson is a wheelchair user, and is considered to be one of the most successful disabled athletes in the UK. Grey-Thompson competed in events over a wide range of distances, first competing in the 100 m at the Junior National Games for Wales in 1984. Over her career to date, she has won a total of 16 Paralympic medals, including 11 golds, held over 30 world records, and won the London Marathon six times between 1992 and 2002.
She graduated from Loughborough University in 1991 with a BA(Hons) in Politics and Social Administration.
Her Paralympic career began in 1988 in Seoul where she won a bronze medal in the 400m and also competed in wheelchair basketball. Her fifth and last Paralympic Games was in Athens (2004) where she won 2 gold medals in athletics.[1] In total in her Paralympic career she won 16 medals (11 gold, 4 silver and a bronze)[1] and also 14 World Championship medals (7 Gold, 4 silver, and 3 Bronze).
In 2000, she was came third in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, behind Olympic legend Steve Redgrave, and Denise Lewis. That year she also received the Helen Rollason Award for her performance at the 2000 Summer Paralympics.
She has been named the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year three times; in 1992, 2000 and 2004.
In 1993 she received an MBE for services to sport, in 2000 the OBE for services to sport, and then in 2005 was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
She has received numerous honorary degrees including an honorary doctorates from Leeds Metropolitan University, Loughborough University, and the University of Wales. She is currently Pro-Chancellor of Staffordshire University.
In preparation for her retirement from the track, she has expanded her television presenting career on BBC Wales and S4C, as well as BBC1.
On 28 February 2007, she announced her pending retirement, with her last appearance for Great Britain at May's Paralympic World Cup in Manchester.[2]
She is currently a non-executive director for UK Athletics, sits on the board of the London Marathon, and has recently been appointed to the Board of Transport for London.
Paralympic World Cup medals
| Year |
Event |
Position |
| 2005 |
100 m |
1st |
| 2005 |
400 m |
1st |
| 2007 |
200 m |
2nd |
References
- ^ British Disabled Flying Association (2005). Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson OBE, MBE - new patron for the BDFA. Retrieved December 31, 2005
- ^ a b "Athlete Search Results". International Paralympic Committee (2008). Retrieved on 2008-10-02.
- ^ BBC SPORT | Other Sport... | Disability Sport | Grey Thompson confirms retirement
External links
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