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Croeso from Fiona Reid, Chief Executive Officer
Noswaith dda, pawb.
Thank you for joining us this evening to celebrate the achievements of the Welsh and Welsh-based Paralympians who competed for ParalympicsGB in Paris 2024.
Twenty-one athletes and a pilot. Sixteen medals. Seven Golds. Five Silvers. Four Bronze.
The stories of Welsh athletes are always bigger than the medals they win. From débutantes to those with five Games-worth of experience; from baby-on-board in the thick of the action, to families back in the stands to cheer on; and from dad-dancing to heads in hands. The achievements of the whole ParalympicsGB team meant they were second in the table, and showcased success in 18 of the 19 sports they contested.
Wales has a strong and long history of Paralympic sport, regularly being referred to as a nation which ‘punches above its weight’. But this history is only made by the incredible paralympic athletes who achieve, dedicate their lives to, and set the expectations of what sport should be.
The likes of John Harris and Chris Hallam were (and still are) trailblazers for Paralympic sport; competing in multiple Games and demonstrating to the nation what it meant to be an athlete. Their commitment to not only competing, but to establishing frameworks which highlighted disabled people’s rights in and to physical activity and sport served as the foundations on which Disability Sport Wales and disability sport in Wales has grown.
Alongside them were the likes of Anthony Hughes MBE and Jim Munkley MBE who were both so integral to the successes of many of the athletes we are celebrating in the room this evening. This legacy is of people who have led the way, sowed the seeds of change, and in a collective way have enabled the Paralympic Games in Paris to be as an exceptional event as it was.
Whilst tonight is about congratulating, showcasing and amplifying the achievements of our Paris 2024 Paralympians – the para-athletes who have come before will continue to be part of every athlete’s journey in the future. Their legacies as well as the work they continue to do to bring Paralympic and disability sport into homes during and outside of Games time is critical to greater equity for disability sport. Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Liz Johnson, and Nathan Stephens took their sporting excellence into other spheres and over the course of this Games focused and grew the excitement and interest though their commentary, knowledge and passion.
The team behind the athletes of ParalympicsGB included coaches, physiotherapists, nurses, doctors, judges, and officials. Some were out in Paris, and others were waiting nervously at home waiting for the live stream, so brilliant curated by Whisper Cymru, to appear on Channel 4 or YouTube. Cheering, applauding and feeling hugely proud of the outcome – regardless of what that was – and of the person and people who had touched the side, crossed the line, projected the ball, gone the distance and scored the point.
With many Paralympians fresh from Paris here this evening, it is also a fitting opportunity to celebrate the impact and potential of others involved with disability and para sport. We will do so by making two awards:
The Jim Munkley Lifetime Achievement Award
Jim Munkley MBE was significant in so many people’s lives. He competed at 5 Paralympic Games, coached Table Tennis producing many of Wales’ Paralympic and World medallists and was Chair of the Welsh Paraplegic and Tetraplegic Sports Association (WPTSA), as well as a long serving board member to DSW.
This award is to celebrate the truly outstanding contributions someone has made to disability sport over the years in Wales. It doesn’t mark the end of their involvement – but does celebrate the sheer depth of their impact.
Emerging Athlete of the Year (with the Gareth John Bursary)
Gareth John MBE was a force of nature. He was known to many within sport having worked or volunteered within Local Authority, National Governing Bodies, the Welsh Sports Association and Commonwealth Games Wales, as well as being a DSW Board member, Chair and President.
This award gives focus to one of the many athletes in Wales who haven’t quite made it on their main stage yet. Won last year by Rhys Darbey (Gold and Silver medallist in the S14 relay and 200m IM in Paris), it really does shine a light on the potential for great things in the athlete’s future.
A Paralympian’s journey is full of the highs and lows that a career in sport brings, but it takes a community of people to support it, strengthen it, and ensure that fullest potentials can be realised. In the past DSW has been a significant part of the pathway for a lot of athletes, but this is changing.
We need Welsh Governing Bodies, partner organisations, clubs, Government, Education, and Health to keep making the changes, and ensure that disabled people are seen, that there is genuine choice, and that pathways for everyone are strong and supported.
Thank you to The National Lottery for supporting the athletes in their careers; to David Clarke and Penny Briscoe and the wider team at ParalympicsGB for their tireless work in getting the best prepared team to the Games; and finally, to everyone connected to inclusive and disability sport in Wales – without you none of this is possible.
Please raise your glasses to the athletes – and the communities of individuals and organisations around them, Wales is proud.
Diolch yn fawr pawb.
