Tanni Grey-Thompson

PARALYMPIAN, WINNER OF 16 MEDALS, TV PRESENTER, CROSSBENCH PEER

Carys Davina Grey-Thompson’s older sister Sian called her “Tiny” when she was young, and thereafter she became “Tanni”. Growing up loving sport, and with parents who successfully fought to keep her in mainstream education, Grey-Thompson started Wheelchair Racing at 13, and won the Junior National title four years later. Her Paralympic medal haul began at 19, when she won a bronze in the 1988 Seoul Games; she would go on to win 11 golds and 3 silvers, and break 30 world records. A TV presenter, and board member of many sports organisations including the London Marathon and Sportsaid, she became an Independent Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords in 2010.