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Tanni Grey-Thompson and David Roberts are Britain’s most successful Paralympians. Both have won 11 gold medals each. Grey-Thompson won hers on the track and Roberts in the pool. Swimmer Chris Holmes won nine gold medals including six in one Games (Barcelona 1992), the largest medal haul at a single Paralympic Games by a British Paralympian ever. Holmes is the new Director of Paralympic Integration at the London Organising Committee and is working to ensure the London 2012 Paralympic Games use the power of the Games to inspire change. He is a Patron of the British Paralympic Association as well as the charity ‘Help for Heroes’ and understands as much as anyone how the origin of the Paralympic Games is particularly poignant in light of current military engagements. 2. In the last three Paralympic Games (Beijing 2008, Athens 2004 and Sydney 2000) Paralympics GB has never finished lower than second in the medal table. Beijing 2008 was the most successful Paralympic Games ever for Paralympics GB with a final tally of 42 gold medals. More than half, 55 per cent, of the British Paralympic team in Beijing in 2008 were at their first Games, making London 2012 a fantastic prospect for more medals. 4. Britain’s youngest ever individual winner of a Paralympic gold medal was Walsall’s Eleanor Simmonds who took gold in the 100 metres freestyle in Beijing in 2008. She followed up with a second gold in the 400 metres freestyle. Simmonds was awarded an MBE for her efforts becoming the youngest recipient of an award and the first minor to receive one. Britain’s youngest ever gold medallist was Joanne Round who won swimming relay gold in Seoul in 1988 at the age of 12. 5. Sarah Storey (n&eacutee Bailey) won five gold medals in Paralympic Games swimming events before switching to cycling in 2005. In Beijing in 2008, at her 5th Paralympic Games, Bailey won two more gold medals in the Velodrome, 16 years after her first gold at the age of 14. Storey is now aiming for more gold in 2012.
6. Paralympians who have also competed in the Olympic Games include South African swimmer Natalie du Toit who finished 16th in the Women’s Marathon 10km swimming event in Beijing in 2008. Du Toit was less than a minute and a half behind the winner after more than six miles of swimming.