Image source, Getty ImagesLet's dive into the incredible world of Ellie Simmonds, a five-time Paralympic gold medal winner!
Ellie Simmonds OBE is a superstar swimmer who discovered her love for the sport at just five years old. Before long, her coach encouraged Ellie to take her swimming skills to the next level and swim competitively. However, Ellie's life changed forever when she watched the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games on TV. She was transfixed, inspired – she wanted to become a Paralympic champion.
Watch Ellie talk about her journey, the importance of Super Movers for Every Body and the Paralympics:
Image source, Getty ImagesEllie Simmonds OBE: Turning point was watching in Athens 2004 Paralympics. The ten year old I was sitting on that sofa and I was like, I want to get a gold medal. I want to go to a Paralympics.
Kimberley Boak: So, Ellie, let's take it back to where everything started for you. So could you just talk us through about how you got into swimming in the first place?
Ellie Simmonds OBE: So I got into swimming at the age of five. It was just about being safe in the water, learning how to swim. So as you go through those stages of learning to swim, the coach at the time, Ashley Cox, who is a great, great coach, used to come to the learn to swim side and like, just said 'well we've got this competitive side too' and I swam once a week, twice a week. I used to go home and say to my mom, Ashley said, if I want to be a good swimmer, I need to swim more. So, the other activities became less and less and swimming took over really. And then the rest is history.
Kimberley Boak: In this Paralympic year, you're involved with Super Movers for Every Body, which is obviously all about inclusive sport. It's from the Premier League, it's from ParalympicsGB and the 鶹Լ, and it's all about getting kids involved and active. Why is something like that so important to you?
Ellie Simmonds OBE: Super Movers for Every Body is so important to me because I think yes, it's about the next generation, but it's also about grassroots, you know, it's about making sure that no matter who you are, no matter what disability you have, you can move, you can get active, you can be included.
Kimberley Boak: You know, inclusive sport is so important. Why do you think it's vital that it kind of gets to school kids as early as possible? What do you think the kind of benefits of that are?
Ellie Simmonds OBE: It's really important that from a young age, children have the same opportunity as everyone else, no matter what disability they have. And I think also children are the ones that are going to be that next generation and if they're educated on everyone being different because we're all not the same, like every single person is different. And it's amazing that we live in a world like that.
Kimberley Boak: I heard a rumour that you might have quite liked to have been a teacher!
Ellie Simmonds OBE: Yeah!
Kimberley Boak: What is it about education then that you really enjoy?
Ellie Simmonds OBE: I really enjoy working with children. I think they're the ones that you can positively affect. And I'm probably, I think I'm a kid at heart anyway. You know, I love being crazy and wild and stuff like that. So, to be a schoolteacher in the future, and again, learning and teaching swimming, I've got that qualification and coaching qualification. So, to do that in the future would definitely be something I'd like to do.
Kimberley Boak: Looking ahead then to Paralympics 2024, what are you most looking forward to about it? Because this is going to be your first time as a spectator?
Ellie Simmonds OBE: I'm really excited to be there, involved in in a different way, you know, talking about swimming and talking about Paralympics. So it's just going to be really nice to watch, you know, to not have that pressure and to support my teammates and support the Paralympic athletes and GB athletes.
Kimberley Boak: What do you think makes the Paralympics so special?
Ellie Simmonds OBE: The Paralympics is just the most special thing. I think it's really exciting to watch because it shows that no matter who you are, no matter what disability have, you can compete for your country and represent your country.
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Ellie was born with achondroplasia, which is a form of dwarfism, and she used her passion and talent to become one of the most celebrated Paralympic swimmers in the world. She made her debut in 2008 in the S6 classification, winning two gold medals when she competed in the Beijing Paralympic Games at just 13 years old.
Ever since, Ellie has been breaking world records in the pool left, right, and centre. She's won medals at the Paralympic Games, the World Championships, and the European Championships.
In 2021, Ellie retired from competitive swimming. But even though she’s hung up her swimsuit, she's always eager to pass on her knowledge and enthusiasm, and may even begin coaching aspiring athletes herself.
Super Movers for Every Body has partnered with the Premier League and ParalympicsGB with the aim providing lots of fun teaching and learning activities to try, as well as information on how to get into inclusive sport in your local area.
Ellie is enthusiastic about getting involved with the Super Movers for Every Body campaign this year. She said, “Super Movers for Every Body is so important to me because… Children [should] have the same opportunities as everyone else, no matter what disabilities they have.”
Take a look at all the free teaching and learning resources for the inclusive Paralympic sports blind football, boccia and Para athletics available here.
Ellie's not just a swimming sensation; she's also a role model for children everywhere. She shows us that with hard work, dedication, and a positive attitude, we can achieve anything we set our minds to.
As Ellie says,
Every single person is different and it’s amazing that we live in a world like that.
