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| Dame Sarah Storey | |
|---|---|
| Name | Dame Sarah Storey |
| Birth date | 1977-10-26 |
| Birth place | Liverpool, Merseyside, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Para-cyclist, former Paralympic swimmer |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Spouse | Barney Storey |
| Medals | Paralympic gold |
Dame Sarah Storey is a British Paralympic cyclist and former Paralympic swimmer whose career spans multiple decades and multiple Paralympic Games. She has represented Great Britain and England at major international competitions, winning numerous medals and setting world records in both swimming and cycling. A double Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, she has been prominent in elite sport, disability advocacy, and public life.
Born in Liverpool in 1977, she grew up in Merseyside and attended local schools before moving into elite sport. As a child she underwent medical treatment at Alder Hey Children's Hospital and was later classified for para-sport under systems governed by the International Paralympic Committee and Union Cycliste Internationale. Early influences included British athletes and coaches from regional clubs in England and support from institutions such as the National Lottery (United Kingdom) funding programmes and the UK Sport talent pathways.
She emerged as a swimmer in the 1990s, competing for Great Britain at multiple editions of the Summer Paralympics. Competing in freestyle and butterfly events, she won medals at the 1992 Summer Paralympics, 1996 Summer Paralympics, 2000 Summer Paralympics and 2004 Summer Paralympics, training at national centres associated with British Swimming and working with coaches linked to the English Institute of Sport. Her swimming success included Commonwealth-level appearances for England and opportunities to race at events organised by bodies such as the International Swimming Federation and the European Swimming League.
After retiring from pool competition, she transitioned into para-cycling, affiliating with clubs and programmes under the auspices of the Union Cycliste Internationale and British Cycling. The move involved adaptation to track and road disciplines, training at velodromes like Manchester Velodrome and participating in events including rounds of the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships and the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships. Her transition was supported by coaches and technicians from performance units connected to UK Sport and private sponsors within the British elite sport system.
As a cyclist she represented Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, 2016 Summer Paralympics, 2020 Summer Paralympics and 2024 Summer Paralympics, winning multiple gold medals on track and road events including time trials and pursuit races. Her Paralympic achievements contributed to British medal tallies alongside teammates from ParalympicsGB and paracycling pilots and guides from the Great Britain cycling team. She set and broke world and Paralympic records recognised by the International Paralympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale across classification events.
Her palmarès include victories and records at the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, and at the Commonwealth Games where she has been a medal contender for England. She has held world records in individual pursuit and time trial disciplines, with performances recorded at venues associated with UEC European Track Championships and international meets under World Para Athletics-aligned championships. Her results have been reported at major multi-sport events including the Paralympic Games and prestigious cycling meetings attended by competitors from nations such as Australia, United States, Germany, France, and Spain.
For services to cycling and disability sport she has been appointed within the Order of the British Empire, receiving the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire and other civic honours from local authorities in Merseyside and national recognition from institutions such as UK Sport and the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards sphere. She has been inducted into halls of fame and lauded by organisations including ParalympicsGB, British Cycling, and sporting charities. Media profiles have appeared in outlets associated with The Guardian, BBC Sport, and major international broadcasters covering the Paralympic Games.
She is married to fellow cyclist Barney Storey and lives in Cheshire; the couple have been public advocates for disability sport, inclusion initiatives, and cycling promotion, working with charities such as Scope (charity) and campaign groups that interact with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and local councils. Her advocacy includes speaking at events hosted by organisations such as The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, collaborations with British Cycling development programmes, and participation in public engagements linked to Sport England and disability rights bodies.
Category:British cyclists Category:English swimmers Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire