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Who are Britain’s most successful Paralympians of all time?

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Who are Britain’s most successful Paralympians of all time?

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August 29, 2024February 12, 2023
Who are Britain’s most successful Paralympians of all time?

The 2024 Paralympics have started in Paris after an opening ceremony attended by athletes and world leaders including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

British astronaut John McFall carried the Paralympic flag at the opening extravaganza, which was themed ‘From Discord to Concord’. McFall turned to a career in athletics after losing his right leg in a motorcycle accident aged 19, going on to win a bronze medal in the 100m at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games before becoming a doctor, then the world’s first person with a disability to qualify as a member of the astronaut reserve for the European Space Agency.

At the opening ceremony, International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons renewed calls for a more inclusive world, saying: “The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will show persons with disabilities what they can achieve at the highest level.”

ParalympicsGB finished in second place in the medal table at Tokyo 2020 behind China, winning 124 medals overall, 41 gold, 38 silver and 45 bronze.

As GB attempts to better its 2020 medal count, here are the most successful athletes to have ever represented Britain at the Paralympics.

Sarah Storey, Swimming + Cycling (1992-Present)

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DISLEY, ENGLAND - JUNE 16: Dame Sarah Storey poses with her 28 Paralympic medals on June 19, 2024 in Disley, England. Dame Sarah Storey is the most successful British Paralympic athlete of all time with 28 medals including 17 gold, 8 silver and 3 bronze. At the age of 14 Sarah made her maiden Paralympic appearance competing as a swimmer in Barcelona, switching to cycling in 2005. At the age of 46 Paris will be her 9th Paralympic games. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Dame Sarah Storey with her 28 Paralympic medals including 17 gold, eight silver and three bronze. (Getty)

British cyclist and swimmer Dame Sarah Storey is the most successful (by gold medals) and most decorated (by total medals) British Paralympian of all time as well as one of the most decorated Paralympic athletes of all time. She has a total of 28 Paralympic medals, including 17 gold, eight silver and three bronze.

She is also the only person to have won five gold medals in the Paralympics before turning 19.

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Manchester's Mike Kenny in Aylesbury today proudly showing his collection of swimming medals won in the Paralympics in Seoul. He won an astonishing five gold and one silver helping the British team to third place in the medals table.Manchester's Mike Kenny in Aylesbury today proudly showing his collection of swimming medals won in the Paralympics in Seoul. He won an astonishing five gold and one silver helping the British team to third place in the medals table.

Mike Kenny showing his collection of swimming medals won in the Paralympics in Seoul, which helped Britain to third place in the medals table.

Retired British swimmer Mike Kenny is the second most successful British Paralympian of all time, winning 16 gold medals and two silvers over four Paralympic Games.

He twice retained his gold medals in three swimming events, breaking numerous world records in the process.

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Britain's Lee Pearson competes on his horse Gentleman during the Dressage Individual - Grade 1b final at the London 2012 Paralympic Games in Greenwich Park in London, on September 1, 2012. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/GettyImages)Britain's Lee Pearson competes on his horse Gentleman during the Dressage Individual - Grade 1b final at the London 2012 Paralympic Games in Greenwich Park in London, on September 1, 2012. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL (Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/GettyImages)

Lee Pearson competes on his horse Gentleman during the Dressage Individual – Grade 1b final at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. (Getty)

File photo dated 16-09-2016 of Great Britain's Lee Pearson celebrates with the Gold medal for the Grade IB Independent Freestyle Test during the ninth day of the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Issue date: Tuesday August 17, 2021.File photo dated 16-09-2016 of Great Britain's Lee Pearson celebrates with the Gold medal for the Grade IB Independent Freestyle Test during the ninth day of the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Issue date: Tuesday August 17, 2021.

Pearson is known as the ‘Godfather’ of para-dressage.

Known as the ‘Godfather’ of para-dressage, Sir David Lee Pearson CBE is a 14-times Paralympic Games gold medallist, represented Britain in the paralympics in Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London, Rio, and Tokyo.

Over the course of his career he has won 30 gold medals at European, World and Paralympic level – but his Paralympic totals are 14 gold medals, two silver and one bronze.

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File photo dated 27-09-2004 of Great Britain's Tanni Grey Thompson shows her emotions after winning Gold. Arguably Britain's most famous Paralympian. Baroness Grey-Thompson, who has spina bifida, was a wheelchair racer and competed in five Games between 1988 and 2004.rguably Britain's most famous Paralympian. Baroness Grey-Thompson, who has spina bifida, was a wheelchair racer and competed in five Games between 1988 and 2004. Issue date: Wednesday August 21, 2024.File photo dated 27-09-2004 of Great Britain's Tanni Grey Thompson shows her emotions after winning Gold. Arguably Britain's most famous Paralympian. Baroness Grey-Thompson, who has spina bifida, was a wheelchair racer and competed in five Games between 1988 and 2004.rguably Britain's most famous Paralympian. Baroness Grey-Thompson, who has spina bifida, was a wheelchair racer and competed in five Games between 1988 and 2004. Issue date: Wednesday August 21, 2024.

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, who has spina bifida, was a wheelchair racer and competed in five Games between 1988 and 2004.

Birmingham wheelchair athlete Tanni Grey-Thompson displays her four track Gold Medals as she arrived at Heathrow Airport, from the Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia. *The Great Britain team returned from the 11-day event with 131 medals, including 41 golds.Birmingham wheelchair athlete Tanni Grey-Thompson displays her four track Gold Medals as she arrived at Heathrow Airport, from the Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia. *The Great Britain team returned from the 11-day event with 131 medals, including 41 golds.

Tanni Grey-Thompson with her four track Gold Medals from the Paralympic Games in Sydney.

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is one of Britain’s greatest Paralympic athletes, amassing an impressive medal haul over 16 years.

She competed in five Paralympic games, winning a total of 16 medals, including 11 gold, four silver and one bronze.

She also held over 30 world records and won the London Marathon six times between 1992 and 2002.

Grey-Thompson announced her pending retirement in February 2007, with her last appearance for Great Britain at May’s Paralympic World Cup in Manchester, and is now a member of the House of Lords.

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Paralympics - Swimming - David Roberts FeatureParalympics - Swimming - David Roberts Feature

Roberts won 11 Paralympic gold medals, as well as four silver and one bronze. (Getty)

Paralympics Crisp & RobertsParalympics Crisp & Roberts

Roberts with fellow Paralympian James Crisp. (Getty)

Welsh swimmer David Roberts CBE is one of Britain’s most successful male Paralympians, winning 11 gold medals, as well as four silver and one bronze.

His achievements put him in 34th place on the all time list of Paralympic Gold Medallists.

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Britain's Isabel Newstead competes during the 10m Air Pistol SH1 final at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games in the Olympic Shooting Center on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2004. Newstead won the gold medal. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)Britain's Isabel Newstead competes during the 10m Air Pistol SH1 final at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games in the Olympic Shooting Center on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2004. Newstead won the gold medal. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Isabel Newstead competed in several different sports during her Paralympic career. (AP)

Britain's Isabel Newstead waves to the crowd with her gold medal after the 10m Air Pistol SH1 final at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games in the Olympic Shooting Center on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2004. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)Britain's Isabel Newstead waves to the crowd with her gold medal after the 10m Air Pistol SH1 final at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games in the Olympic Shooting Center on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2004. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Newstead with her gold medal after the 10m Air Pistol SH1 final at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games. (AP)

Isabel Newstead MBE competed at seven consecutive Paralympic Games from 1980 to 2004, winning 10 gold, four silver and four bronze medals in three different sports.

During her Paralympic career she competing in a range of sports, making her debut in Arnhem in 1980 winning three golds in swimming, then going on to compete in swimming, shooting and athletics.

In 2001 she was awarded an MBE in recognition of her 17 Paralympic medals and made her final Paralympic appearance at the 2004 Games in Athens, where she set a new world record with a gold medal in the women’s air pistol.

She died in 2007 aged 51 after being diagnosed with cancer the previous year and was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.

The remaining top 10 most successful British Paralympians are:-

7) Carol Bryant (athletics, table tennis, swimming, wheelchair fencing), 17 medals – 10 gold, two silver, five bronze

8) Chris Holmes (swimming), 15 medals – nine gold, five silver, one bronze

9) Robin Surgeoner (swimming), nine gold medals

10) Robert Matthews (athletics), 13 medals – eight gold, four silver, one bronze