BIOGRAPHY
Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE | Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords
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Sporting Career
Tanni's first Paralympics was Seoul in 1988, where she won a bronze medal in the 400 metres.
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In 1992 she claimed victory in the London Wheelchair Marathon, the first of six wins over her career and then went on to the Barcelona Paralympics, where she won four gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800 metres and a silver in the 4x100m relay. It was at Barcelona that Tanni became the first woman to break the 60-second barrier for 400 metres.
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Tanni won the 800 metres gold in the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics along with three silver medals in the 100, 200 and 400 metres.
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At the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, Tanni returned with another four gold medals in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 metres.
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Her final Paralympic Games as an athlete was Athens 2004, where she won gold in the 100 metres and 400 metres taking her medal tally to 11 golds.
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Her total Paralympic Medal tally is 11 gold, 4 silvers and 1 bronze and added to that 5 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze medals at World Championships.
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Over her career, Tanni broke 30 World Records on the track and her personal bests are:
100m - 16.70 - 2003 Swiss Nationals
200m - 29.77 - 1996 Atlanta Open
400m - 56.28 - 2003 Swiss Nationals
800m - 1.53.35 - 1996 Atlanta Paralympics
1500m - 3.35.15 - 1998 Swiss Nationals
5000m - 12.32.61 - 1998 Swiss Nationals
10km - 24.03 - 1994 Mobile, California
Half marathon - 52.17 - 1997 Great North Run
Present Day
Tanni has continued to be involved in sport and physical activity. She is a Board Member of the London Marathon, the Sportsaid Foundation, the Duke of Edinburgh Award and Join In. In addition to this, she is also a Board Member of several organisations including Transport for London, the London Legacy Development Corporation and the London 2017 Organising Committee.
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In 2010 Tanni became an Independent Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords, taking the title Baroness Grey-Thompson of Eaglescliffe in the County of Durham. As a working peer Tanni uses her experience and knowledge during debates in the House and has spoken on a range of issues including Disability Rights, Welfare Reform, and of course, Sport.