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| Full name | Eleanor Simmonds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | British | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 11 November 1994 Walsall, England |
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| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stroke(s) | Freestyle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club |
Boldmere Swimming Club Swansea Performance Centre |
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Medal record
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Eleanor Simmonds MBE (born 11 November 1994 in Walsall, West Midlands[1]) is a British Paralympian swimmer who has achondroplasia.
Simmonds competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China in the 50 m, 100 m and 400 m freestyle, 50 m butterfly, and 200 m individual medley.[2] She swims in the S6 disability category. At the age of 13, she was the youngest British athlete in China.[3] She came 5th in the 200 m individual medley and won gold medals in the 100 m and 400 m freestyle events.[4]
She won the 2008 BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award.
Simmonds was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours.[5] At 14 she is the youngest person to have ever received this honour.[6] She received the honour from Queen Elizabeth II on 18 February 2009.[7]
She lives part time in Swansea and trains for two hours at a time in nine training sessions per week at the Wales National Pool. Before moving to Swansea, she swam for Boldmere Swimming Club in Sutton Coldfield, under Head Coach Ashley Cox and several other coaches. In 2008, following her success in Beijing she was made a life member of the club. To this date she still maintains her links with Boldmere Swimming Club, swimming at the annual Club Championships and occasionally attending training sessions when she returns from Swansea.
She also took part in All Star Family Fortunes which was broadcast on 29 November 2009, which made her the youngest team captain they ever had on the show. She played the game with her aunt, trainer, cousin and brother and won £1,520 for her chosen charity.
| Awards and achievements | ||
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| Preceded by Tom Daley |
BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2008 |
Succeeded by Tom Daley |