Suzanne Dando

Suzanne Jane Dando
— Gymnast —
Country represented  United Kingdom
Born (1961-07-03) 3 July 1961
Balham, London
Gym Ladywell Gymnastics Club
Retired 1980

Suzanne Dando (born 3 July 1961 in Balham, London) is a former English Olympic gymnast, who competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. She works as a television presenter mainly with Sky Sports.

British and Olympic gymnast

Her gymnastics talent was first recognized at age eleven by her school physical education teacher Anne Billingham. She quickly passed all the BAGA awards and climbed onto the uneven bars for the first time when she was 12. In 1975 she had to leave her family home in Sussex and move to London to further her gymnastics career. She first represented her country at international level in 1976 aged just 15 where she competed for Britain against West Germany. After winning many National titles, in 1977 she was awarded a Sir Winston Churchill Scholarship Churchill Fellowship allowing her to spend time training in America in 1978. United States. She returned to America in early 1979, returning home in time to compete in the British Championships, unfortunately she sustained an injury and could not compete, which then ruled her out of the squad for the 1979 European Championships. On recovery, she went on to represent her country in the more competitive arena of the 1979 World Championships, Fort Worth, Dallas USA, gaining her F.I.G. Gold Pin.

In 1980, Dando won the 'Champion of Champions' title at the Royal Albert Hall. In May she became the Overall British National Champion. She led her teammates, Susan Cheesborough and Denise Jones, to the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. Dando improved dramatically on her standing (48th) following prelims, finishing 27th in the AA competition.

Retirement

Like many gymnasts, Dando retired after the Olympics, explaining that the direction the sport was taking concerned her, as the serious injuries, like Yelena Mukhina's, were increasing. Dando later revealed to the UK press that she had suffered anorexia whilst a gymnast. At one point, her parents and coaches reduced her training until she regained her strength and started eating properly.

After gymnastics

Following her retirement, Dando coached the under fives in gymnastics at the Lewisham Leisure Centre in South London. She wrote a book, "Fun Ways to Looking Good", and produced and presented her own fitness video, "Flexercise". In the early 1980s, she made several appearances for the Conservative Party, citing Margaret Thatcher as her inspiration.

In 1982 she competed in and became the BBC Superstars Champion.

In 1983, Dando was the gymnastics supervisor for the Bond film, Octopussy. The following year her fitness album, Shape Up and Dance with Suzanne Dando, peaked at #87 in the UK Albums Chart.[1]

Dando has had a career in show business, serving as a TV presenter on a variety of shows for BBC, ITV and Channel Four. Dando also worked as a model, actress and singer.

Her TV career started with the BBC presenting the children's program 'Stopwatch' with Daley Thompson and Janice Long. She first joined Sky Sports at the end of 1993, mainly live programs on basketball and show jumping, with the odd stint on the BBC for national and international gymnastics events. She presented the BBC2 art program, 'Awash with Colour,' and BBC's 'The Pet Set'. Most recently co-presenting Horse of Year Show 2009.

Personal life

Dando is an active supporter of many charities, including the Children's Trust (for whom she ran the 2008 London Marathon), Against Breast Cancer, an ambassador to the Prince's Trust and a fundraiser for Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion.

In July 1987, Dando married Graham Maclean in Westminster, a composer and song writer. However, the marriage broke down. In September 1996 Dando married the Australian actor Bruce Roberts at Uckfield but he returned to Australia alone in the winter of 1998. At the time he said that he hoped their relationship could survive the separation.[2] It did not and the couple divorced. Dando then had a long relationship with former footballer Andy Gray until he ended it. Dando is now married to businessman Adam Reynolds and lives in Oxfordshire.

Competition record

References

  1. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 139. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. ↑ Hello!, 7 November 1998

External links

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