Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE
Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE is Britain's most successful Paralympic athlete ever!
Tanni is also Britain’s best-known Paralympic athlete, having performed at world-class level for the past twenty years, in distances ranging from 100m to the marathon. Tanni’s career has taken her around the world to every major international event. Her 16 Paralympic medals including 11 golds, six gold medals in the London Marathon and her comprehensive set of British and World Records make her achievements second to none in the disability sport arena.
Tanni has received numerous accolades and awards in recognition of her Paralympic and sporting achievements, she was awarded third place in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2000, has become BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year three times been taken the title ’Welsh Woman of the Year’. In 2000 Tanni was decorated with the OBE in the Millennium New Years Honours List in honour of her services to sport and in 2005 became a Dame of the British Empire.
Tanni’s most prestigious accolade has been her election to the Laureus World Sports Academy alongside such sporting legends as Pele, Jack Nicklaus, Michael Jordan, Boris Becker, Ed Moses and Alberto Tomba, placing her firmly alongside the world’s leading sporting celebrities.
Tanni has been voted one of only four British sportswomen to appear in the book ’50 British Sporting Greats’ published by Cassell’s in October 2002, highlighting the high esteem that Tanni is held in the eye of the British public.
In a poll undertaken by Ouch the BBC’s disability website during January 2003 Tanni was voted the third greatest Briton of all time behind Professor Stephen Hawking and the late rock star Ian Dury, Other distinguished names in the poll listing included World War 2 hero Douglas Bader, Sir Winston Churchill, Admiral Lord Nelson and Lord Byron.
In 2002 Tanni received ‘The Walpole Best British Sporting Achievement Award’ and ‘The Commonwealth Games Sports Award for Best Female Disabled Athlete’.
Tanni has continued to expand her broadcasting and media experiences, writing articles for several leading newspapers including the Daily Mail and the Guardian and has featured in various household magazines such as ‘Best’ and ‘Good Housekeeping’. Always in constant demand by radio, Tanni has made numerous guest appearances on Radio Four, Radio Five Live and BBC Manchester, BBC Wales and is often heard on Radio Cleveland presenting a breakfast slot.
As much a loved and respected individual both on and off the track, Tanni has appeared on many high profile media programmes such as: BBC Question Time; Breakfast with Frost: The Weakest Link; Grandstand; A Question of Sport; Countryfile; They Think It’s All Over, The One Show and The Wight Stuff.
Tanni is also an accomplished Television presenter and has fronted a range of programmes from BBC Wales Sport Personality historical documentary programmes such as Land of My Mothers, The Big Welsh Challenge to BBC Wales X-Ray, a watchdog programme addressing issues beyond the scene of sport
Tanni is articulate and well informed; she is an exceptional conference and motivational speaker and can tailor presentations to the individual needs of clients. She is able to interact with a wide range of people, from young school children to seasoned corporate executives such as Lloyds TSB, Accenture and Price Waterhouse.
Tanni has played an active role within sports administration, which has included the membership of the United Kingdom Sports Council, the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games Organising Council Association and patronage of Sport Leaders UK. Currently she is a Consultant to The London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games( LOCOG) Trustee for “ V “ Charity, member of the Cabinet Honours Committee , a Non Executive Director of UK Athletics and “Visa Olympic Great” for Visa Europe.
Born in Cardiff in 1969, Tanni was educated at St. Cyres Comprehensive School and subsequently obtained an honours degree at Loughborough University.
Now retired from international competition Tanni lives in Redcar with her husband, Dr. Ian Thompson and their daughter Carys, who was born in February 2002.