Britain’s Greatest Paralympian – Diversity, Disability & Equality
England
United Kingdom
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, DBE is a former paralympian, a parliamentarian, and a television presenter. She was born with spinal disorder and has been using wheelchair since she was seven. This has not restricted her as Tanni is Britain’s greatest ever Paralympian. Her Paralympic record is astounding, winning 11 Olympic gold medals, three silvers and a bronze medal between 1992 and 2004. She has also won the London Wheelchair Marathon a record six times and overall, broken 30 world records and won 10 World Championship medals. Her parents encouraged her independent streak, which helped her to become an all-rounder sportswomen from an early age. Tanni has been busy since retiring from competitive sport. She is a director of UK Athletics and a member of the board of the London Marathon.
In 2010 Tanni was appointed to the House of Lords, where she serves as a non party political crossbench peer. Tanni took the title Baroness Grey-Thompson of Eaglescliffe in the County of Durham. Working as a Peer she hopes to use her experience and knowledge to great effect in debates in the House and has contributed in the Welfare Reform and Legal Aid Bill. She was appointed to the Independent Commission in 2012 and will be reviewing the current role of the UCI, cycling’s governing body in the wake of the Lance Armstrong controversy.
Tanni speaks at various public and private events, telling her amazing story of achievements. As an international conference speaker, her presentations are emotionally rich, motivational, and extremely inspirational.
"Tanni held the audience spellbound with an entertaining mix of inspiring achievements and amusing anecdotes, which together produced a strong and powerful motivational message about what can be accomplished through dedication and determination as well as talent."