Neil Fachie

Started: He began Para cycling in about 2009. (britishcycling.org.uk, 02 Feb 2020) Reason: "I was always very sporty as a child and very competitive. I had a lot of energy to burn and my parents would encourage me to get involved in various activities. I tried swimming, gymnastics and trampolining before falling in love with athletics. After I graduated from university I became involved in Para athletics and went on to compete at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. Then in the lead-up to the Games in London in 2012 I was told my funding was cut. After a dark period I discovered Para cycling and found new purpose in life as I was a lifelong fan of cycling." (earn-your-stripes.co.uk, 02 Feb 2020) Ambition: To defend his gold medal in the tandem B time trial at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (pressandjournal.co.uk, 27 Dec 2023) Awards: In 2023 he was named Officer of the Order of the British Empire [OBE] for his services to Para cycling. He had been named Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire [MBE] in the New Year's Honours list for services to Para cycling in 2013. (independent.co.uk, 03 Oct 2023; express.co.uk, 22 May 2013; cyclingweekly.co.uk, 31 Dec 2012) In 2014 and 2016 he was named Male Achiever of the Year and Para Sport Achiever of the Year at the Aberdeen Sports Awards in Scotland. (sportaberdeen.co.uk, 11 Oct 2016; stv.tv, 03 Oct 2014) In 2012, 2014, and 2015 he received the Angus Trophy, given to Scottish Disability Sport's Sportsperson of the Year [excluding athletics and swimming]. (scottishdisabilitysport.com, 2016) In 2015 he was named Para Sport Achiever of the Year at the Aberdeen Sports Awards in Scotland. (eveningexpress.co.uk, 19 Aug 2016) In 2010 and 2013 he received the Gordon Brown Trophy, the Scottish Disability Sport award for athletes' athlete of the year. (scottishdisabilitysport.com, 2016) In 2009 he was named Sportsperson of the Year in Aberdeen, Scotland. (Press and Journal, 03 Sep 2012) Additional Info: AUTHOR In 2020 he released a book called 'Earn Your Stripes,' which outlines his methodology on how to be the best you can be at what you do. "I hope it will appeal to many people in different areas, particularly anyone interested in sport. I've got loads of stories from my career, but alongside them are insights into the things I've used to get to the top of my sport and stay there. It's not about training, it's about the mental preparation and mentally how you have to be to achieve those things and how that approach applies to everyday life. So I hope there's something in there for everyone. It's quite autobiographical, I didn't want it to be a dry self-help book." (eveningexpress.co.uk, 03 Jun 2020; earn-your-stripes.co.uk, 02 Feb 2020) OCCUPATION He provides life coaching via his own personal website, Earn Your Stripes. In 2017 he and his wife Lora set up a business called LNF Coaching. "We are passionate about helping people achieve their full potential. We do this by maximising their lifestyle, nutrition, and belief systems." (LinkedIn profile, 03 Jan 2023; earn-your-stripes.co.uk, 23 Oct 2023; Facebook page, 25 Apr 2019, 24 Jan 2018)

Sporting Relatives: His wife Lora competed in cycling at the 2012, 2016, and 2020 Paralympic Games. At the 2020 Games she won a gold medal in tandem B individual pursuit [track] and a silver medal in the tandem B time trial [road]. (SportsDeskOnline, 04 Jan 2024; British Cycling Facebook page, 31 Aug 2021)