Paralympic Heroes

by Cathy Wood

  And to Dylan Onraet of Apple White City Business Team, who had to rescue the manuscript on more than one occasion. And yes, this book was mostly written on an iPad.

  All top athletes have their own trusted team alongside them and, without mine, this book would not have been possible so it belongs to all of you who have been part of it.

  Thanks go to Katie and Richard for your extraordinary love, support and generosity over what seems like half a lifetime. Your heartfelt backing was integral to the successful completion of this project. And Clemmie and Hugo, thank you for endless laughter and never-ending supplies of chocolate.

  Thank you, Sarah, for the enduring gift of friendship and for embodying kindness, loyalty and selflessness in all you do. To Helene and Tim for allowing me to take up near-residence while simultaneously supplying restaurant-style cuisine and for tireless, genuine offers of help. Ella and Charlie, you may never know quite how important and influential you have been!

  Enormous thanks also to Andi for proving distance is no barrier to real friendship. Thank you, Eleanor and Cedric, for teaching me how to use my iPad when I should have been working and you should have been sleeping. To the irrepressible Sarah Hartley, for my daily word count and for assuring me it could be done despite my protestations.

  Sandra, your guidance is extraordinary – thank you for being such a constant source of love and support.

  To Sophie who encouraged me to say yes in the first place and for never doubting the final outcome.

  Rosemary, thank you for helping the words to flow and for your infectious enthusiasm. Lucy, you were the catalyst for life-enhancing change and for restoring something I thought lost forever. You encouraged me to live my dreams free of fear, to never doubt them and graciously reminded me to stand in the light – the biggest gift of all.

  To William and Suzue Curley and all the staff in Belgravia, thank you for delicious refreshment throughout and to Andrew, Jo, Julia and Priscilla.

  I would also like to thank the incredible team at the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust and, particularly, Emma Atkins for taking such care to open a path to so many unexpected new opportunities, of which this was one.

  And there is one other person without whom this particular journey might have had a very different ending – David Peterson. Despite the damage done on one particular summer’s afternoon, I hope these pages prove that eventually something enormously positive emerged. This book is as much a measure of my gratitude for your work than anything else I have done. But for circumstances our paths might never have crossed. That they did was an ever-present reminder to me of how life changes in an instant.

  It is long overdue – but thank you.

  Finally, to Barney, my number one gold-medal-winning, top-of-the-podium fan, for making me laugh out loud every day.

  Somehow, though, I doubt you will read it.

  List of Acronyms

  BPA:

  British Paralympic Association

  CP:

  Cerebral Palsy

  FISA:

  Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Aviron (International Federation of Rowing Associations)

  INAS-FID:

  International Sports Federation for Persons with an Intellectual Disability

  IOC:

  International Olympic Committee

  IPC:

  International Paralympic Committee

  ITTF:

  International Table Tennis Federation

  LOCOG:

  London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games

  MOD:

  Ministry of Defence

  ParalympicsGB:

  British Paralympic Team at Paralympic Games. Also a brand name for the British Paralympic Association (BPA)

  RDA:

  Riding for the Disabled Association

  RNID:

  Royal National Institute of Blind People

  SIA:

  Spinal Injuries Association

  TeamGB:

  British Olympic Team at Olympic Games

  List of Illustrations

  The idea of creating a sporting event for athletes with a disability grew quickly. Dr Ludwig Guttmann, founder of the Paralympic Games, escorts the Duchess of Gloucester around the sixth Stoke Mandeville Games, held in 1957.

  Lack of wheelchair access facilities meant that athletes going to the Rome 1960 Paralympic Games had to be loaded onto the plane using a crate and a forklift truck.

  British athletes on their way to the Tokyo 1964 Games. Paralympic sport was opening up a range of possibilities, such as international travel, denied to previous generations of disabled people.

  Even in the early days of Paralympic sport there was high-level recognition of athletes’ achievements. Here, former Prime Minister Harold Wilson hosts a reception at No. 10 Downing Street in 1964.

  By the 1970s, disability sport was turning into elite athlete sport, regardless of disability. Here, Philip Craven puts in some of the endless hours of practice that led him to become one of the best wheelchair basketball players in the world.

  Tanni Grey-Thompson arrives on the world stage with four golds and one silver at the Barcelona 1992 Games. She became one of the most decorated athletes of all time.

  Swimmer David Roberts is greeted by former Sports Minister Kate Hoey at Heathrow Airport, as he shows off his haul of seven medals from the Sydney 2000 Games.

  Sophie Christiansen at Athens 2004 with her bronze medal, trainer Clive Milkins and Charlie Girl, the horse on which she trained and which was borrowed by the Brazilian team.

  Lee Pearson cements his place as one of the greatest equestrian riders of all time with a gold medal in Freestyle Test: Individual – Grade 1b, at the Beijing 2008 Games. Pearson has won nine gold medals to date from nine events – a 100 per cent record.

  Tom Aggar’s journey to become a Single Sculls – ASM1x gold-medallist at the Beijing 2008 Games took just over two years from his first experience in an adaptive racing boat.

  Archer Danielle Brown releases an arrow on her way to winning the Individual Compound – Open event at Beijing 2008. The nature of her sport means she regularly competes against non-disabled archers.

  Peter Norfolk wins gold at Beijing 2008. Norfolk was Britain’s first gold medallist in Wheelchair Tennis, when he won the Singles – Quad competition at Athens 2004.

  Helene Raynsford in training for the Single Sculls – ASW1x at Beijing 2008, an event she went on to win. Her training is integrated with non-disabled Olympic rowers.

  Jody Cundy competes in the Kilo at the Beijing 2008 Games. He broke the world record on his way to gold. Cundy was a former gold-medal winning swimmer.

  Like Jody Cundy Sarah Storey was a former highly successful swimmer. Her two gold medals in Cycling at Beijing 2008 made her transition between the two sports appear effortless.

  Ellie Simmonds receives her MBE from the Queen in 2009. At the Beijing 2008 Games, she was the youngest British athlete at just 13 years old, but won two gold medals at 100m and 400m Freestyle – S6. She was then voted 2008 Young Sports Personality of the Year.

  Pictures

  The idea of creating a sporting event for athletes with a disability grew quickly. Dr Ludwig Guttmann, founder of the Paralympic Games, escorts the Duchess of Gloucester around the sixth Stoke Mandeville Games, held in 1957.

  Lack of wheelchair access facilities meant that athletes going to the Rome 1960 Paralympic Games had to be loaded onto the plane using a crate and a forklift truck.

  British athletes on their way to the Tokyo 1964 Games. Paralympic sport was opening up a range of possibilities, such as international travel, denied to previous generations of disabled people.

  Even in the early days of Paralympic sport there was high-level recognition of athletes’ achievements. Here, former Prime Minister Harold Wilson hosts a reception at No. 10 Downing Street in 1964.

  By the 1970s, disability sport was turning into elite athlete sport, regardless of disability. Here, Philip C
raven puts in some of the endless hours of practice that led him to become one of the best wheelchair basketball players in the world.

  Tanni Grey-Thompson arrives on the world stage with four golds and one silver at the Barcelona 1992 Games. She became one of the most decorated athletes of all time.

  Sophie Christiansen at Athens 2004 with her bronze medal, trainer Clive Milkins and Charlie Girl, the horse on which she trained and which was borrowed by the Brazilian team.

  Swimmer David Roberts is greeted by former Sports Minister Kate Hoey at Heathrow Airport, as he shows off his haul of seven medals from the Sydney 2000 Games.

  Lee Pearson cements his place as one of the greatest equestrian riders of all time with a gold medal in Freestyle Test: Individual – Grade 1b, at the Beijing 2008 Games. Pearson has won nine gold medals to date from nine events – a 100 per cent record.

  Tom Aggar’s journey to become a Single Sculls – ASM1x gold-medallist at the Beijing 2008 Games took just over two years from his first experience in an adaptive racing boat.

  Peter Norfolk wins gold at Beijing 2008. Norfolk was Britain’s first gold medallist in Wheelchair Tennis, when he won the Singles – Quad competition at Athens 2004.

  Archer Danielle Brown releases an arrow on her way to winning the Individual Compound – Open event at Beijing 2008. The nature of her sport means she regularly competes against non-disabled archers.

  Helene Raynsford in training for the Single Sculls – ASW1x at Beijing 2008, an event she went on to win. Her training is integrated with non-disabled Olympic rowers.

  Jody Cundy competes in the Kilo at the Beijing 2008 Games. He broke the world record on his way to gold. Cundy was a former gold-medal winning swimmer.

  Like Jody Cundy Sarah Storey was a former highly successful swimmer. Her two gold medals in Cycling at Beijing 2008 made her transition between the two sports appear effortless.

  Ellie Simmonds receives her MBE from the Queen in 2009. At the Beijing 2008 Games, she was the youngest British athlete at just 13 years old, but won two gold medals at 100m and 400m Freestyle – S6. She was then voted 2008 Young Sports Personality of the Year.

  Index

  4 x 50m Medley Relay ref 1

  4 x 100m Medley Relay ref 1

  100m Backstroke

  at Athens 2004 Paralympic Games xi

  100m Backstroke - S6 ref 1

  100m Butterfly ref 1

  100m Butterfly - S10 ref 1

  100m Freestyle ref 1, ref 2

  100m Freestyle - S6 ref 1

  200m Individual Medley ref 1

  200m Individual Medley - SM10 ref 1

  400m Freestyle - S6 ref 1

  A

  Adlington, Rebecca ref 1

  Aggar, Bob ref 1, ref 2, ref 3, ref 4, ref 5

  Aggar, Joe ref 1, ref 2, ref 3, ref 4, ref 5

  Aggar, Marion ref 1, ref 2, ref 3, ref 4, ref 5, ref 6

  Aggar, Tom ref 1

  at Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games ref 1

  early life ref 1

  injured in fall ref 1

  starts recovery from injury ref 1

  starts international rowing ref 1

  Amato, Victor P. ref 1

  Andresson, Johan ref 1

  Archer Shield Trophy ref 1

  Archery Individual Compound - Open ref 1

  Armistead, Lizzie ref 1

  Arms Only Women’s Single Sculls - AW1x ref 1

  Arnhem 1980 Paralympic Games

  athletes at ref 1

  Games at ref 1

  Ash, Alan ref 1

  Athens 2004 Paralympic Games

  100m Backstroke xi

  Darren Kenny at ref 1

  Dave Roberts at ref 1

  Equestrian at ref 1

  Games at ref 1

  Jody Cundy at ref 1

  Lee Pearson at ref 1, ref 2, ref 3

  Peter Norfolk at ref 1, ref 2, ref 3

  Rebecca Romero at ref 1

  Sophie Christiansen at ref 1, ref 2

  Tanni Grey-Thompson at ref 1, ref 2

  Athlete Personal Awards (APA) ref 1

  Athletes with an Intellectual Disability (ID) ref 1

  Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games

  David Weir at ref 1

  disappointment over ref 1

  Games at ref 1

  Jody Cundy at ref 1

  Sarah Storey at ref 1

  Tim Reddish at ref 1

  B

  Balding, Clare ref 1

  Balding, Ian ref 1

  Banks, Jenni ref 1

  Barcelona 1992 Paralympic Games

  Chris Holmes at ref 1

  Games at ref 1

  improvements at ref 1

  Sarah Storey at ref 1

  Tanni Grey-Thompson at ref 1

  Tim Reddish at ref 1

  Wheelchair Tennis at ref 1

  Battle Back ref 1

  BBC Sports Personality of the Year ref 1

  Beck, Michael ref 1, ref 2

  Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games

  Closing Ceremony ref 1, ref 2

  Danielle Brown at ref 1, ref 2

  Darren Kenny at ref 1

  Dave Roberts at ref 1, ref 2

  Ellie Simmonds at xi-xii, ref 1

  Games at ref 1

  Helene Raynsford at ref 1

  Josie Pearson at ref 1, ref 2

  Lee Pearson at ref 1, ref 2

  Paralympic Rowing ref 1, ref 2, ref 3

  Peter Norfolk at ref 1

  Rebecca Romero at ref 1

  Sarah Storey at ref 1

  Tom Aggar at ref 1

  Bell, Dora ref 1

  Bissat, Nizar ref 1

  blind athletes ref 1

  Bolt, Usain ref 1

  British Paralympic Association (BPA) work of ref 1

  Brown, Danielle ref 1

  at Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games ref 1, ref 2

  early life ref 1

  first international competitions ref 1

  and London 2012 Paralympic Games ref 1

  starts archery ref 1, ref 2

  Brown, Duncan ref 1, ref 2

  Brown, Gordon ref 1, ref 2

  Brown, Helen ref 1

  Brown, Liz ref 1, ref 2

  Byrne, Tel ref 1

  in army ref 1

  injured in Afghanistan ref 1

  leg amputated ref 1

  at Talent Identification Day ref 1

  C

  Campbell, Sue ref 1, ref 2, ref 3

  Castello, Andre ref 1

  Cavanagh, John ref 1

  Championships Test (Dressage) ref 1, ref 2

  Christiansen, Alex ref 1, ref 2, ref 3, ref 4

  Christiansen, Caroline ref 1, ref 2, ref 3, ref 4, ref 5, ref 6

  Christiansen, Karl ref 1, ref 2, ref 3, ref 4, ref 5

  Christiansen, Sophie ref 1

  at Athens 2004 Paralympic Games ref 1, ref 2

  classification ref 1

  Dressage skills of ref 1

  early life ref 1

  first international competition ref 1

  life in Greece ref 1

  starts horse-riding ref 1, ref 2

  Close, Leo ref 1, ref 2

  Closing Ceremonies

  at Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games ref 1, ref 2

  at Tokyo 1964 Paralympic Games ref 1

  Club Olympique de Kerpape ref 1

  Coe, Sebastian ref 1

  Colclough, Martin ref 1

  Cord, The ref 1, ref 2, ref 3, ref 4

  Cracknell, James ref 1

  Craven, Herbert ref 1

  Craven, Hilda ref 1

  Craven, Jocelyn ref 1, ref 2

  Craven, Philip ref 1, ref 2

  clash with Ludwig Guttmann ref 1

  blocked from Toronto 1976 Paralympic Games ref 1

  develops wheelchair basketball ref 1

  early life ref 1

  at Heidelberg 1972 Paralympic Games ref 1

  influence of ref 1

  on Ludwig Guttmann ref 1

  at Stoke Mandeville International Games ref
1

  on Paralympic Games ref 1

  paralyzed in accident ref 1

  plays for French wheelchair basketball team ref 1

  as President of International Paralympic Committee (IPC) ref 1

  starts playing wheelchair basketball ref 1

  Sue Campbell on ref 1

  Cundy, Alan ref 1

  Cundy, Ann ref 1

  Cundy, Jody ref 1

  at Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games ref 1

  at Athens 2004 Paralympic Games ref 1

  starts swimming ref 1

  at Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games ref 1

  switches to cycling ref 1, ref 2

  D

  Davies, Terry ref 1

  Disability Sport ref 1

  Don, Tim ref 1

  Dressage ref 1, ref 2, ref 3, ref 4, ref 5

  du Toit, Natalie ref 1

  E

  Eriksson, Peter ref 1

  Eton Dorney ref 1, ref 2

  Evans, Daniel ref 1

  F

  Flint, Daisy ref 1

  Foster, Tim ref 1

  Fox, Terry ref 1

  Freestyle Test (Dressage) ref 1, ref 2

  funding for athletes ref 1

  Furness, Bill ref 1

  G

  Goodman, Susan ref 1

  Grey, Peter ref 1, ref 2, ref 3, ref 4

  Grey, Sian ref 1, ref 2

  Grey, Sulwen ref 1, ref 2, ref 3, ref 4, ref 5, ref 6

  Grey-Thompson, Tanni ref 1, ref 2

  at Athens 2004 Paralympic Games ref 1, ref 2