Tanni Grey-Thompson

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Dame Tanni Carys Davina Grey-Thompson, DBE (born 26 July 1969, Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh athlete and TV presenter.

Born with spina bifida, Tanni is a wheelchair-user, and is considered to be one of the most successful disabled athletes in the UK. Thompson competes 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 1997 and 2002.

In 2000 she was awarded the Helen Rollason Award for her performance at the 2000 Summer Paralympics, and was appointed an OBE for services to sport. In 2001, she was given an honorary degree by Loughborough University, namely a Doctorate of Technology, having graduated from the university ten years earlier with an honours degree in Politics and Social Administration. Also in 2001, she was given an honorary degree by Leeds Metropolitan 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.

In the 2005 New Year's Honours List, her continuing services to Disabled Sport were rewarded with the honour of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

On 28 February 2007, she announced her pending retirement, with her last scheduled race due to be for Great Britain at May's Paralympic World Cup in Manchester.^[1]

Tanni is married with one daughter, and lives in Redcar, England.

[edit] Paralympic medals won

Paralympic Games	Medals won
1988 Paralympics, Seoul	Bronze in 400 m
1992 Paralympics, Barcelona	Gold in 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 800 m; Silver in 4x100 m relay
1996 Paralympics, Atlanta	Gold in 800 m; Silver in 100 m, 200 m and 400 m
2000 Paralympics, Sydney	Gold in 100 m, 200 m, 400 m and 800 m
2004 Paralympics, Athens	Gold in 100 m and 400 m