TANNI GREY THOMPSON Biography TANNI GREY THOMPSON Tanni is Britain’s best-known Paralympic athlete, having performed at world-class level for the past fourteen years, in distances ranging from 100m to the marathon. Tanni’s career has taken her around the world to every major international event. Her 13 Paralympic medals, six gold medals in the London Marathon and her comprehensive set of British and World Records make her achievements second to none in the disability sport arena. Tanni has received numerous accolades and awards in recognition of her Paralympic and sporting achievements, awarded third place in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2000, becoming BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year and ’Welsh Woman of the Year’. The year 2000 culminated in Tanni being decorated with the OBE in the Millennium New Years Honours List in honour of her services to sport. Tanni’s most prestigious accolade has been her election to the Laureus World Sports Academy alongside such sporting legends as Pele, Jack Nicklaus, Michael Jordan, Boris Becker, Ed Moses and Alberto Tomba, placing her firmly alongside the world’s leading sporting celebrities. Tanni has been voted one of only four British sportswomen to appear in the book ’50 British Sporting Greats’ published by Cassell’s in October 2002, highlighting the high esteem that Tanni is held in the eye of the British public. In a poll undertaken by Ouch the BBC’s disability website during January 2003, Tanni was voted the third greatest Briton of all time behind Professor Stephen Hawkins and the late rock star Ian Dury. Other distinguished names in the poll included World War 2 hero Douglas Barder, Sir Winston Churchill, Admiral Lord Nelson and Lord Byron. In 2002 Tanni received ‘The Walpole Best British Sporting Achievement Award’ and ‘The Commonwealth Games Sports Award for Best Female Disabled Athlete’. Tanni has continued to expand her broadcasting and media experiences, writing articles for several leading newspapers including the Daily Mail and the Guardian and has featured in various household magazines such as ‘Best’ and ‘Good Housekeeping’. Always in constant demand by radio, Tanni has made numerous guest appearances on Radio Four, Radio Five Live and more recently BBC Manchester 2002, the dedicated radio station in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games. A much loved and respected individual both on and off the track, Tanni has appeared on many high profile media programmes such as: BBC Question Time; The Weakest Link; Grandstand; A Question of Sport; Countryside; It’s My Funeral; My Favourite Hymns; CBBC’s Blue Peter; They Think It’s All Over and various lifestyle programmes such as ‘Gloria Hunniford’ and GMTV. More recently, Tanni has been developing a presenter’s role by co-hosting BBC Wales X-Ray Programme, a watchdog programme addressing issues beyond the scene of sport. Tanni is articulate and well informed; she is an exceptional conference and motivational speaker and can tailor presentations to the individual needs of clients. She is able to interact with a wide range of people, from young school children to seasoned corporate executives such as Lloyds TSB, Accenture and Price Waterhouse. Tanni plays an active role within sports administration, which has included the membership of the United Kingdom Sports Council, the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games Organising Council Association and patronage of the British Sports Trust. Born in Cardiff in 1969, Tanni was educated at St. Cyres Comprehensive School and subsequently obtained an honours degree at Loughborough University. Tanni now lives in Redcar with her husband, Dr. Ian Thompson and their daughter Carys, who was born in February 2002. SPORTING ACHIEVEMENTS Paralympic Achievements Sydney 2000 100m Gold Medal 200m Gold Medal 400m Gold Medal 800m Gold Medal Atlanta 1996 100m Silver Medal 200m Silver Medal World Record 400m Silver Medal 800m Gold Medal World Record Barcelona 1992 100m Gold Medal World Record 200m Gold Medal 400m Gold Medal World Record 800m Gold Medal World Record Seoul 1988 100m 4th place 400m Bronze Medal Marathon Achievements 2003 London Marathon Silver Medal 2 ;04:54 2002 London Marathon Gold Medal 2 Hours 20 minutes 2001 London Marathon Gold Medal 2000 Lake Sempach Marathon 6th place Personal best time London Marathon Silver Medal 1999 Great North Run Gold Medal London Marathon Silver Medal 1998 Lake Sempach Marathon Personal best time London Marathon Gold Medal 1997 London Marathon Silver Medal 1996 London Marathon Gold Medal 1994 London Marathon Gold Medal 1993 London Marathon Bronze Medal 1992 London Marathon Gold Medal Lake Sempach Marathon First British woman to finish in under 2 hours. Other Sporting Achievements 2000 Olympic Exhibition Event, Sydney 800m 4th Place 1998 European 800m Exhibition Event 800m Gold Medal Oz Day 10km 10km Gold Medal 1997 British Wheelchair Racing Association Road Racing Grand Prix Winner 1995 World Championship Exhibition Event, Sweden 800m 4th place 1994 World Athletics Championships, Berlin 100m Gold Medal 200m Gold Medal (WR) 400m Gold Medal (WR) 800m Gold Medal 10,000m Bronze Medal European Championships Exhibition, Helsinki 800m Bronze Medal 1993 World Championships Exhibition, Stuttgart, 800m Bronze Medal Swiss National Games 100m Gold Medal (WR) 200m Gold Medal (WR) 1992 Olympic Exhibition Event, Barcelona 800m Gold Medal (WR) Toronto Challenge, Canada 100m World Record 200m World Record 400m World Record 800m World Record Melbourne International Track Meet 200m World Record 1991 World Wheelchair Games, Stoke Mandeville 100m Gold Medal 200m Gold Medal 400m Silver Medal 1990 World Championships, Assen, Holland 100m Silver Medal 200m Silver Medal 400m Bronze Medal British Records Held 100m 17.08 Atlanta 2000 200m 29.77 Paralympic Games Atlanta 1996 400m 56.28 Langental 03 800m 1.53.35 Gothenburg 1500m 3.35.15 Jona, Switzerland 5000m 12.32.61 Jona, Switzerland 10,000m 25.39.06 Kirby, England 10km road 24.03 Mobile, California, USA Half Marathon 52.17 Great North Run (1997) Tanni also holds a number of Honorary Fellowships, Masters and Doctorates from various Universities. She is also Patron to a large number of organisations including British Sport Trust and Youth Sport Trust. Institute of the United Kingdom, and has been on the board of many influential sports organisations including Sports Council for Wales and National Disability Council. [ back ]