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Tanni Grey-Thompson, Baroness
Britain's most successful Paralympic athlete ever!
Britain's most successful Paralympic athlete ever!
Topics Covered
  • Going for Gold
  • The London Olympics
  • Teamwork & Motivation
Biography

Tanni has received numerous accolades and awards in recognition of her Paralympic and sporting achievements, she was awarded third place in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2000, has become BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year three times, taken the title ‘Welsh Woman of the Year’ and many more. In 2000 Tanni was decorated with the OBE in the Millennium New Years Honours List in honour of her services to sport and in 2004 was awarded a Dame hood.

Tanni is member of the Laureus World Sports alongside such sporting legends as Pele, Jack Nicklaus, Michael Jordan, Boris Becker, Ed Moses, placing her firmly alongside the world’s leading sporting celebrities.

Tanni has played 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 Sport Leaders UK.

Since her retirement, Tanni has continued to be involved in sport. She is a director of UK Athletics and a member of the board of the London Marathon.

In 2008 Tanni was appointed as a member of Transport for London, where she chairs the Environment, Corporate and Planning Panel, and is a member of the Surface Transport and Safety, Health and Environment Assurance Panels. Also at the 2008 Sports Industry Awards was presented with the Virgin Atlantic Outstanding Contribution to British Sport for her outstanding work both on and off the track in the development of the Paralympic movement.

In 2010 Tanni was appointed to the House of Lords, where she serves as a non party political crossbench peer. Tanni took the title Baroness Grey-Thompson of Eaglescliffe in the County of Durham. Tanni is a working peer and hopes to use her experience and knowledge to great effect in debates in the House.

Currently she sits on the UK Sport Mission 2012 Committee, The Winston Churchill Memorial Fund Committee, she is a Consultant to The London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and also sits on their Sports Advisory Committee.

She is a Trustee for “V” Charity, member of the Cabinet Sports Honours Committee, Advisor to the Vodaphone Foundation, a Non Executive Director of UK Athletics “Visa Olympic Great” for Visa Europe, Board member of Transport for London, and Chair of the Commission on the Future of Women’s Sport.

As much a loved and respected individual both on and off the track, Tanni ‘s TV work has included appearances on BBC Question Time; Breakfast with Frost:, Celebrity Mastermind, The Weakest Link; Grandstand; A Question of Sport; and They Think It’s All Over. Tanni is also an accomplished TV and radio presenter.

Alongside this impressive list of sporting and media achievements Tanni has been active in the administration, management and politics of sport. She has lobbied and promoted many issues and causes associated with disability sport and disability in general, resulting in a much higher profile for sports for people with disabilities, and improved access and understanding of the people and sports involved.

Tanni is articulate and well informed; and is an exceptional conference and motivational speaker with main subject areas being Motivation Diversity Winning and Achievement. She is at ease talking to schoolchildren or professionals and one of her greatest achievements must be in making people more aware of disability and what can be accomplished with will-power, determination and the support of a loving family.

Tanni has been awarded a combination of honorary degrees from 25 Academic Institutions and in 2005 she became Pro Chancellor of Staffordshire University

She is an articulate and exceptional motivational speaker. Every year, thousands of people enjoy listening to Tanni speak on the topics of motivation, diversity and achievement.

Tanni speaks about her childhood and family, how she became a track athlete, her training regime and victories, and the challenges and choices in her life. She relates her sporting experiences to the importance of planning for success, team work, forward-vision and making dreams come true. Tanni can provide ‘tailored’ talks with specific references and images on request.

Tanni has now retired from International competition and lives in Redcar with her husband, Dr. Ian Thompson and their daughter Carys, who was born in February 2002.

Testimonials

“ Tanni’s talk was excellent … personable, inspiring and very amusing.” Accenture

“I think when we first spoke that I said we were after the wow factor to close the event - we certainly got it with Dame Tanni” - Claire Kennedy, Business Services Manager, MacIntyre.

”Tanni held the audience spellbound with an entertaining mix of inspiring achievements and amusing anecdotes, which together produced a strong and powerful motivational message about what can be accomplished through dedication and determination as well as talent.” - John Palmer Director of Communications and Public Affairs Sheffield Hallam University.

“Securing Tanni Grey Thompson was an outstanding move” - The National Conference for Senior Women in Policing.

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