Tanni Grey-Thompson realised at age 13 that Wheelchair Racing was her sport of choice. Tanni's first Paralympics was Seoul in 1988, where she won a bronze medal in the 400m. Her fifth and last Paralympic Games were in Athens (2004) where she won two gold medals in wheelchair racing in the 100m and 400m. In total in her Paralympic career she won 16 medals (11 gold, four silver and a bronze) and also 13 World Championship medals (six gold, five silver and two bronze). Over her career, Tanni broke 30 World Records on the track.

Tanni has continued to be involved in sport and physical activity. She is a Board Member of the London Marathon, the Sportsaid Foundation, the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and Join In. In addition to this she is also a Board Member of several organisations including Transport for London, the London Legacy Development Corporation and the London 2017 Organising Committee.

In 2010 Tanni became an Independent Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords, taking the title Baroness Grey-Thompson of Eaglescliffe in the County of Durham. As a working peer Tanni uses her experience and knowledge during debates in the House and she has spoken on a range of issues including Disability Rights, Welfare Reform, and of course, Sport.

Visit Baroness Thompson’s website and follow on Twitter

Follow Emma Vogelmann on Twitter and Instagram

Donate to The Wheelchair Activist

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thewheelchairactivist.substack.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.