Sarah Storey

Started: She took up cycling in 2005. (paralympic.org, 21 Jan 2011 ) Reason: She began cycling after suffering an ear infection that stopped her swimming for several months. (paralympic.org, 21 Jan 2011 ) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (independent.co.uk, 05 Jan 2024) Milestones: As of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo she is Great Britain's most decorated Paralympian in terms of both gold medals [17] and total medals [28]. At the 2020 Games in Tokyo she joined a select group of athletes, including British shooter Deanna Coates [1984-2012], to have competed at eight editions of the Paralympic Games. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jun 2024; paralympic.org, 10 Apr 2024) At the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo she became the only athlete from any sport to have won a medal at all eight editions of the Paralympic Games from Barcelona 1992 to Tokyo 2020. (SportsDeskOnline, 02 Jul 2024) Awards: In 2020 she was named Disability Sportswoman of the Year by British newspaper The Sunday Times. (insidethegames.biz, 26 Nov 2020) She was named Para Sportsperson of the Decade by the Daily Telegraph in Great Britain for the period between 2010 and 2019. (telegraph.co.uk, 27 Dec 2019) In 2015 a section of road was renamed Storey's Way in Stockport, England. The honour was in recognition of her achievements at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. (wilmslow.co.uk, 29 Mar 2015) In 2012 she was named a Dame in the Queen's New Year Honours list. (dailystar.co.uk, 29 Dec 2012) In 2008 she was named the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability. (laureus.com, 01 Dec 2008) In 1998 she was named Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire [MBE]. She was then made Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire [OBE] after her success at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. (thehoneyballbuzz.com, 17 Jun 2012) Additional Info: NINTH GAMES She is making her ninth Paralympic appearance at the 2024 Games in Paris, having debuted in Barcelona in 1992. She competed in swimming until 2004, and has represented Great Britain in cycling at the Games since 2008. "Charlie [her son] said after Tokyo [the 2020 Games], 'I want to watch you at the Paralympics mum' and I'm like, 'Oh, okay, here we go again, back on the rollercoaster'. That was a huge motivation. Obviously I wouldn't have said yes if I didn't think my body and mind were up to it, because there's a huge amount of work that goes into getting there. As an older athlete, working and working out the next step in my life is part of the bigger picture. I'm pushing the boundaries and there aren't many athletes who are competing over the age of 45 and trying to get back to the top of the podium. I'm kind of pushing on that feeling again, a little bit like I did when I came back from having children in the first place. I'll be focused entirely on Paris and the results of Paris will help me make a decision as to what's next. It's not a decision I could ever make before a race. If you do that, I'd feel I had basically retired ahead of racing and I will always want to be, you know, full gas, right to the finish." (SportsDeskOnline, 09 Jan 2024; independent.co.uk, 05 Jan 2024) NAMED TEAM She and her husband Barney set up the cycling team Storey Racing in 2017. (Twitter profile, 18 May 2021; storeyracing.cc, 19 Jan 2021) OTHER ACTIVITIES She was elected to the International Paralympic Committee [IPC] Athletes' Council in September 2016 and has also served on the International Cycling Union [UCI] Athletes' Commission and the UCI Para Cycling Commission. (sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk, 01 Apr 2019; bseclients.co.uk, 21 Nov 2018; insidethegames.biz, 18 Sep 2016)

Sporting Relatives: Her husband Barney Storey has competed as a pilot for vision impaired track cyclists, winning three Paralympic gold medals during his career. Her sister swam at national level. (independent.co.uk, 05 Jan 2024; Twitter profile, 15 May 2020; bbc.co.uk, 28 Sep 2015; boots.com, 07 Jun 2012; menmedia.co.uk, 22 Feb 2012)