Who is Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and how many gold medals did she win?

TANNI Grey-Thompson is one of Great Britain’s all-time winners, taking home hoards of medals and breaking world records left, right and centre throughout a glittering career.

Here we get to know the former wheelchair racer who’s part of the line-up for Channel 4’s Paralympics commentating team.

Who is Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson?

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE was born on July 26, 1969, in Cardiff, Wales.

Her birth name is Carys Davina, but she has been known as Tanni since a baby.

She is a life peer, television presenter and former wheelchair racer. 

Tanni’s been a wheelchair user since the age of seven due to spina bifida — a birth defect that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly.

Her competitive career began at the Junior National Games for Wales in 1984, where she competed in the 100m.

Just four years later she represented Great Britain at her first Paralympics in 1988, and went on to compete and win medals at five Games. 

Tanni has also won the London Marathon six times between 1992 and 2002.

In recognition of her outstanding contributions to disabled sport, she was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1993, advanced to Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2000, and promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2005.

She was later made a life peer in 2010, serving as a cross-bencher in the House of Lords, using her platform to advocate for disability rights and promote inclusivity in sports.

Tanni is also a motivational speaker and author, having penned her autobiography Seize The Day in 2001.

Speaking about what the Paralympics means to her ahead of her Paris 2024 commentating role, she told Channel 4: “The Paralympics is such a huge part of my life, but now I’m in danger of commentating at the Games more than I competed in them.

“The Paralympics are about bringing together elite sport, lots of stories, passion, drive and years of training, which can make or break an athlete in 15 seconds – what is not to love about that?”

Who is Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson’s husband Ian?

Tanni met her husband Ian Thompson in 1987 when both were members of the Welsh national wheelchair racing squad.

They tied the knot at St John’s Church, Cardiff, on May 1, 1999, and honeymooned in Sempach, Switzerland because it was a good place for training.

Tanni later said: “The national championships are always the first week in May, so we thought it would help us both remember our wedding anniversary.”

After retiring from athletics, Ian pursued a career in research chemistry.

The couple shares a daughter, Carys, who was born in February 2002.

How many gold medals did Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson win?

Tanni’s Paralympic career spanned 16 years, taking her to five different Games between 1988 and 2004.

She retired from international competition in 2007.

Tanni competed in the T53 category – a classifications for athletes with spinal cord injuries.

Throughout her career, she won an astonishing 11 gold medals, along with four silver and one bronze in wheelchair racing events at the Paralympics.

Her international debut came in 1988 at the Seoul Paralympics, where she won a bronze medal in the 400m. 

She went on to claim four gold medals at the 1992 Barcelona Paralympics, setting world records in the 100m and 400m.

In 1996, Tanni won gold in the 800m at the Atlanta Paralympics.

This was followed by very successful appearances at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, where she took top honours in the 800m, 100m, 200m and 400m.

She also brought home gold in the 100m at Athens 2004.

Her World Championship medals tally stands at 13, comprising six gold, five silver and two bronze.

Tanni has also held over 30 world records in various wheelchair racing events, demonstrating her dominance in the sport.