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Eleanor
‘Ellie’ Simmonds is a remarkable disability swimmer who shot to fame when she
became the youngest Briton to win an Olympic or Paralympic medal at the age of
13 years and 9 months. This was the start of a string of firsts for Eleanor as
she went on to become the youngest winner of the BBC Young Sports Personality
of the year in 2008 and then the youngest recipient of the MBE at the age of 14
years, receiving her award from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.
Since
her meteoric rise into the public eye Ellie has impressed by continuing her
dominance in her sport, winning 10 World titles, 5 European titles and setting
8 World Records in the 3 years since the 2008 Paralympic Games. She is now the
most recognised Paralympic athlete in Great Britain and arguably the face of
the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Eleanor’s
disability is classified as Achondroplasia dwarfism. She started swimming at
the age of 5 and started competing against able bodied children at the age of
8. At 10 years old Ellie’s talent was spotted at a disability event and she was
entered onto the British Swimming talent program and worked her way through to
be selected as the youngest member of a senior British swimming squad for the
2006 IPC World Championships at 12 years and 3 weeks. Eleanor has completed her GCSEs and will be entering
sixth-form in September studying world development, history and citizenship and
as the countdown to London 2012 continues.
Since bursting onto the scene at the Beijing
Paralympics, Eleanor Simmonds has captured both the hearts and the mind of the
British public balancing
her new found stardom with her school work and training. She has appeared on a
number of TV shows including Family fortunes, Blue Peter and Basil Brush and
has attended a number of celebrity events, her favourite to date being given a
tour of the McClaren factory by then World Champion Lewis Hamilton.
Eleanor’s
ever growing reputation as a world class athlete and her charming character
make her the ideal individual to represent Paralympic sport ahead of what could
be a very successful 2012 Paralympics for Eleanor.
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