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Sarah Storey
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Sarah Storey
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Dame Sarah Joanne Storey (née Bailey; born 26 October 1977) is a British cyclist and swimmer, a multiple gold medallist in the Paralympic Games, and six times British (able-bodied) national track champion (2 × Pursuit, 1 × Points, 3 × Team Pursuit).

Key Information

Her total of 30 Paralympic medals, including 19 gold medals, makes her 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.[40][41] She has the unique distinction of winning five gold medals in Paralympics before turning 19.

Storey's major achievements include being a 29-time World champion (6 in swimming and 23 in cycling), a 21-time European champion (18 in swimming and 3 in cycling) and holding 75 world records.[42] She is regarded as one of the most experienced campaigners in the history of the Paralympics as she took part at the Paralympics on nine occasions between 1992 and 2024.[43]

For several years at her peak, Storey's progress was such that she was competitive at able-bodied elite level on the track, and for a period was in the Great Britain Olympic squad programme for team pursuit. She won a number of UCI Track Cycling World Cup gold medals in team pursuit in that period, and narrowly missed the (able-bodied) women's hour world record by less than 600 metres, taking the national record. She remains the current para world record holder in women's 3000m individual pursuit and hour record.

On 2 September 2021, she surpassed Mike Kenny's 16 Paralympic gold medal record to become Great Britain's most successful Paralympic athlete of all time after securing her 17th Paralympic gold medal when she won the women's road race C4-5 event.[44][45]

Early life

[edit]

Storey was born Sarah Bailey in Manchester[46] without a functioning left hand after her arm became entangled in the umbilical cord in the womb and the hand did not develop as normal.[47] As a schoolgirl, she was subjected to bullying by her school mates and also faced eating disorder issues at school.[48] She joined her first swimming club at the age of ten and was told by her coach that she had started her training too late to be good at anything.[49]

Swimming at the Paralympic Games

[edit]

Storey began her Paralympic career as a swimmer,[50] winning two golds, three silvers and a bronze in Barcelona in 1992 at the age of 14.

She retained her Paralympic gold medals in women's 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley events at the 1996 Summer Paralympics. Despite the diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (ME), she continued to participate in swimming and claimed four silver medals and a solitary bronze in the next two Paralympic Games in 2000 and 2004 before quitting the sport.[51]

Cycling

[edit]
Storey at the Our Greatest Team Parade, in 2012.

At the 2008 Paralympic Games, her fifth, Storey won the individual pursuit – in a time that would have been in the top eight at the Olympic final[52] – and the Women's road time trial.

Storey also competes against non-disabled athletes and won the 3 km national track pursuit championship in 2008, eight days after taking the Paralympic title,[53] and successfully defended her title in 2009.[54] In 2014, she added a third national track title with a win in the points race.[55]

Storey qualified to join the England team for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, where she was "the first disabled cyclist to compete for England at the Commonwealth Games", against non-disabled cyclists.[56] She was also the second Paralympic athlete overall competing for England at the Games, following archer Danielle Brown earlier in Delhi.[57]

In 2011, Storey competed for one of the three places in the GB squad for the women's team pursuit at the 2012 Olympic Games. Although she was in the winning team for the World Cup event in Cali, Colombia in December 2011,[58] she was informed afterwards that she was being dropped from the team pursuit squad.[59]

London's 2012 Paralympics Games saw Storey win Britain's first gold medal, in the women's individual C5 pursuit.[60][61][62] She went on to win three more gold medals, one in the Time Trial C4–5 500m,[62] one in the Individual Road Time Trial C5[62] and finally one in the Individual Road Race C4–5.[63]

In 2014, Storey and her husband Barney Storey founded the Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International women's amateur cycling team, supporting the charity Boot Out Breast Cancer. The team fielded squads in the 2014 and 2015 British road race seasons.[64][65]

Storey attempted to break the world hour record at the Lee Valley VeloPark in London on 28 February 2015. She set a distance of 45.502 km, which was 563m short of Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel's 2003 overall world record – however Storey's distance did set a new world record in the C5 Paralympic cycling class as well as a new British record.[66]

In the Rio 2016 Paralympics Storey became Britain's most successful female Paralympian when she won the C5 3000m individual pursuit final.[67]

She became the first athlete to win the gold medal for Great Britain at the 2020 Summer Paralympics when she defended her Paralympic title in the women's individual pursuit C5 event.[68] It was also her fifth Paralympic gold medal in track cycling and her tenth Paralympic gold medal in women's cycling. It was also her record 15th gold medal in her Paralympic career.[48] During the qualifying heat event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics she broke her own world record by four seconds in the individual pursuit C5 category.[69][70]

In 2024 she won at the Paris Paralympics her 18th Games gold medal, winning the women's road event for a fifth successive Paralympics.[71]

Personal life

[edit]

Storey married tandem pilot and coach Barney Storey in 2007.[72] She gave birth to a daughter on 30 June 2013[73][74] and a son on 14 October 2017.[74] She and her husband live in Disley, Cheshire.[75][46]

In April 2019, Storey was appointed Active Travel Commissioner for the Sheffield City Region.[76] In April 2024 Storey was elected as President of Lancashire County Cricket Club.[77]

Storey is related to the screenwriter Danny Brocklehurst.

Honours

[edit]

Storey was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1998 New Year Honours "for services to Swimming for People with Disabilities".[78] Following the Beijing Games, she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours "for services to Disabled Sport."[79] In 2012, she was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Manchester.[80] Following the 2012 London Games, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours "for services to para-cycling".[81][82]

Storey was a nominee for the 2008 Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability and the 2012 BBC Sports Personality of the Year.[83] She won The Sunday Times Disability Sportswoman of the Year in 2020, her win being officially announced in an online ceremony.[84] Storey was a nominee for the 2024 BBC Sports Personality of the Year.[85] Her name is one of those featured on the sculpture Ribbons, unveiled in 2024.[86][87]

Major results

[edit]

1992

Paralympic Games
1st 100 m Backstroke
1st 200 m Individual Medley
2nd 400 m Freestyle
2nd 4x100 m Freestyle
2nd 4x100 m Medley
3rd 100 m Freestyle

1994

World Para Swimming Championships
1st 200 m Individual Medley
1st 100 m Breaststroke
2nd 100 m Backstroke
2nd 400 m Freestyle
3rd 4x100 m Medley

1996

Paralympic Games
1st 100 m Breaststroke
1st 100 m Backstroke
1st 200 m Individual Medley
2nd 400 m Freestyle
3rd 100 m Freestyle

1998

World Para Swimming Championships
2nd 100 m Backstroke
2nd 4x100 m Medley
3rd 400 m Freestyle
3rd 200 m Individual Medley
3rd 100 m Breaststroke
3rd 4x100 m Freestyle

2000

Paralympic Games
2nd 100 m Backstroke
2nd 4x100 m Medley

2002

World Para Swimming Championships
1st 100 m Freestyle
1st 400 m Freestyle
1st 200 m Individual Medley
2nd 100 m Backstroke
3rd 50 m Freestyle

2004

Paralympic Games
2nd 100 m Breaststroke
2nd 200 m Individual Medley
3rd 100 m Freestyle

2005

European Para-cycling Championships
1st Road Race
1st Individual Pursuit
1st 500m Time Trial
2nd Time Trial
European Open Para-cycling Championships
1st Road Race
1st Individual Pursuit
2nd 500m Time Trial
3rd Time Trial
National Track Championships
7th Individual Pursuit

2006

UCI Track Para-cycling World Championships
1st Individual Pursuit
3rd 500m Time Trial
National Track Championships
1st Para-cycling Individual Pursuit
3rd Individual Pursuit
7th 500m Time Trial
UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships
2nd Road Race
2nd Time Trial

2007

UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships
1st Individual Pursuit
3rd 500m Time Trial
National Road Championships
1st Para-cycling Road Race
National Track Championships
1st Para-cycling Individual Pursuit
7th 500m Time Trial
UCI Paralympic World Cup
1st Individual Pursuit
1st 500m Time Trial

2008

Paralympic Games
1st Time Trial
1st Individual Pursuit
National Track Championships
1st Individual Pursuit
UCI Paralympic World Cup
1st Individual Pursuit
3rd 500m Time Trial

2009

UCI Track Para-cycling World Championships
1st Individual Pursuit
1st 500m Time Trial
UCI Road Para-cycling World Championships
1st Road Race
1st Time Trial
UCI Masters Road Para-cycling World Championships
1st Time Trial
2nd Road Race
National Track Championships
1st Individual Pursuit
UCI Paralympic World Cup
1st Individual Pursuit
1st 500m Time Trial

2010

UCI Road Para-cycling World Championships
1st Road Race
1st Time Trial
National Track Championships
1st Team Pursuit
2nd Individual Pursuit
6th Commonwealth Games, Individual Pursuit
1st Overall 2 Days of Bedford International Stage Race
1st Stages 1 & 2
9th National Road Championships, Road Race

2011

UCI Track Para-cycling World Championships
1st Individual Pursuit
1st 500m Time Trial
UCI Road Para-cycling World Championships
1st Road Race
1st Time Trial
National Track Championships
1st Team Pursuit
4th Individual Pursuit
1st Overall 2 Days of Bedford International Stage Race
1st Mountains classification
1st Stages 1 & 2
UCI Track Cycling World Cup–Manchester
1st Team Pursuit
Sydney Road World Cup
1st Road Race
1st Time Trial
1st Blenheim Palace Time Trial Event
3rd National Road Championships, Time Trial

2012

Paralympic Games
1st Individual Pursuit
1st 500m Time Trial
1st Time Trial
1st Road Race
2012 UCI Track Para-cycling World Championships
1st Individual Pursuit
1st Time Trial
2nd Team Sprint
UCI Track Cycling World Cup–Cali
1st Team Pursuit
1st Overall Essex Giro Stage Race
1st Blenheim Palace Time Trial
1st Curlew Cup Road Race
1st Caperwry Road Race
1st Cheshire Classic Road Race
9th Overall Tour du Limousin

2014

2014 UCI Track Para-cycling World Championships
1st Individual Pursuit
1st Scratch Race
3rd 500m Time Trial
2014 UCI Road Para-cycling World Championships
1st Road Race
1st Time Trial
National Track Championships
1st Points Race
2nd Team Pursuit
1st Overall Essex Giro Stage Race
1st Cheshire Classic Road Race
1st Stage 2 Tour de Bretagne Feminine
3rd National Road Championships, Time Trial

2015

2015 UCI Track Para-cycling World Championships
1st Individual Pursuit
2nd 500m Time Trial
2015 UCI Road Para-cycling World Championships
1st Road Race
1st Time Trial
National Track Championships
1st Team Pursuit
1st Cheshire Classic Road Race
1st Overall National Time Trial Series
3rd National Road Championships, Time Trial
3rd Points Race, Revolution – Round 4, Glasgow

2016

Paralympic Games
1st Individual Pursuit
1st Time Trial
1st Road Race
2016 UCI Track Para-cycling World Championships
1st Individual Pursuit
2nd 500m Time Trial
2nd Scratch Race
3rd National Road Championships, Time Trial

2017

National Track Championships
3rd Team Pursuit

2019

2019 UCI Track Para-cycling World Championships
1st Individual Pursuit

2020

2019 UCI Track Para-cycling World Championships
1st Individual Pursuit
1st Scratch Race
1st Omnium

2020

Paralympic Games
1st Individual Pursuit
1st Time Trial
1st Road Race

World records

[edit]
Date Discipline Time Event Location Ref
14 August 2005 3000m Individual Pursuit (LC 1) 4'01"140 Alkmaar,  Netherlands [88]
11 September 2006 3000m Individual Pursuit (LC 1) 3'53"107 Aigle,  Switzerland [88]
12 September 2006 3000m Individual Pursuit (LC 1) 3'51"666 Aigle,  Switzerland [88]
22 August 2007 3000m Individual Pursuit (LC 1) 3'48"622 Bordeaux,  France [88]
10 September 2008 3000m Individual Pursuit (LC 1) 3'36"637 2008 Paralympic Games Beijing,  China [88]
7 November 2009 3000m Individual Pursuit (LC 1) 3'34"266 Manchester,  Great Britain [88]
29 November 2011 3000m Individual Pursuit (C5) 3'33"248 Manchester,  Great Britain [88]
30 August 2012 3000m Individual Pursuit (C5) 3'32"170 2012 Paralympic Games London,  Great Britain [88]
2 April 2014 3000m Individual Pursuit (C5) 3'32"050 Aguascalientes,  Mexico [88]
28 February 2015 Hour record (C5) 45.502 km UCI Track Cycling World Cup Lee Valley VeloPark, London,  Great Britain [88]
8 September 2016 3000m Individual Pursuit (C5) 3'31"394 2016 Paralympic Games Rio de Janeiro,  Brazil [88]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Sarah Storey

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Dame Sarah Storey DBE (born 24 October 1975) is a British Paralympic cyclist and former swimmer recognized as the nation's most decorated Paralympian, with 19 gold medals, eight silver medals, and three bronze medals across nine Games from Sydney 2000 to Paris 2024. Born with a congenital under-development of her left hand and arm due to the limb becoming tangled in the umbilical cord in utero, Storey competes in the C5 classification for cyclists with moderate impairment. She began her Paralympic career in swimming, earning five golds, three silvers, and one bronze before a chronic ear infection forced her retirement from the pool in 2005, prompting a switch to cycling where she has since amassed 14 golds and dominated events like the individual pursuit, time trial, and road race. Storey has also secured 23 world cycling championships and multiple European titles, while competing successfully against able-bodied athletes in national events, and received her damehood in 2019 for services to sport. In recent years, she has critiqued organizational decisions in para-cycling, such as the shortened women's time trial distance at Paris 2024, highlighting disparities in event equity.

Early Life

Medical Condition and Family Background

Sarah Storey was born with a congenital malformation affecting her left hand, resulting in it being underdeveloped and non-functioning. This occurred due to her left arm becoming entangled with the , which restricted blood flow and stunted development, rather than from any genetic defect. Medical experts have not identified a definitive cause beyond this prenatal complication, and the condition is isolated to her left without broader systemic effects. Storey is the eldest of three siblings, raised in a supportive environment in . Her mother worked as a nurse and her father as an engineer; both emphasized capabilities over limitations, avoiding references to in the home and encouraging participation in activities like , where her parents served as leaders. Her grandmother's experience in services may have further influenced the family's approach to fostering . This upbringing prioritized normalcy and achievement, aligning with Storey's early involvement in sports despite her physical difference.

Education and Initial Challenges

Sarah Storey was born on 26 October 1977 in , , without a functioning left hand due to complications involving the during , a non-genetic developmental issue that occurred . Despite her congenital limb difference, she attended mainstream schools, beginning at in , where a parent-run club on Saturday afternoons introduced her to competitive from an early age. She later progressed to in and in Marple, maintaining an active involvement in sports amid a typical educational environment that did not segregate her based on . Storey's early academic and sporting pursuits were marked by social challenges, including from peers envious of her precocious success; at age 14, she won multiple medals at the 1992 Paralympics but faced torment upon returning to school to complete her GCSEs. This peer resentment contributed to the development of patterns, as she grappled with the pressures of balancing adolescent achievements in elite para-swimming with school life. Such experiences underscored the interpersonal barriers she encountered in mainstream education, where her and accomplishments set her apart, yet she persisted without specialized accommodations beyond standard integration. Storey continued her education post-secondary, earning a degree, though peers at university dismissed her athletic commitments, adding to the skepticism she faced regarding the seriousness of her dual pursuits. These initial hurdles, rooted in both her physical condition and the social repercussions of early fame, honed her resilience but highlighted systemic underestimation of disabled students' potential in conventional academic settings.

Swimming Career

Paralympic Performances (2000–2008)

At the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, Australia, Sarah Storey competed in swimming events under the S10 classification for athletes with mild physical impairments affecting arm movement. She secured silver medals in the women's 100 m backstroke, finishing with a time that placed her second behind the gold medalist, and in the women's 4 × 100 m medley relay 34 pts, contributing to Great Britain's team effort. These results marked her continued success following earlier Paralympic appearances, building on her prior golds from 1992 and 1996. Storey's swimming career culminated at the in , , where she again competed primarily in S10 events but also entered the SB9 classification for due to specific event eligibility. She won a in the women's 100 m freestyle S10, a silver in the women's 100 m SB9, and another silver in the women's 200 m individual medley SM10. These medals—two silvers and one bronze—reflected her versatility across strokes, though she did not claim gold in these Games, a shift from her younger years. Storey did not participate in swimming at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in , , having transitioned to due to health challenges including chronic fatigue syndrome, which impacted her pool training. Her Paralympic swimming record from 2000 to 2004 added four silvers and one bronze to her overall tally, emphasizing endurance in medley and relay disciplines.
Paralympic GamesEventMedalClassification
Sydney 2000Women's 100 m SilverS10
Sydney 2000Women's 4 × 100 m medley 34 ptsSilverS10
Athens 2004Women's 100 m freestyleBronzeS10
Athens 2004Women's 100 m SilverSB9
Athens 2004Women's 200 m individual medleySilverSM10

International Championships and Records

Storey won five titles at the IPC Swimming World Championships in events including the 100 m breaststroke and individual medley, contributing to her dominance in the S10 and SB9 classifications. She also claimed eighteen gold medals at European Championships across multiple distances and strokes, such as the 200 m individual medley and 100 m . Throughout her swimming tenure from 1992 to 2008, Storey established or broke 41 world records in para-swimming disciplines, particularly in freestyle, , , and medley events, often setting benchmarks that stood for years in her classification. These records underscored her technical proficiency and endurance, achieved despite recurrent ear infections that later prompted her sport switch.

Transition to Cycling

Factors Influencing the Switch

A serious ear infection in 2005 sidelined Storey from swimming for several months, prompting her to explore alternative training options to maintain her competitive fitness. During this period, she was introduced to para-cycling through British Cycling's talent identification programs, where her upper-body impairment—phocomelia affecting her left arm—qualified her for the C5 classification. This health setback, combined with her existing athletic versatility from years in swimming, facilitated the initial trial of cycling as a temporary measure that evolved into a permanent shift. Storey's rapid adaptation to cycling was evident in her early successes, including a world championship title in the in , which reinforced the viability of the sport as a long-term pursuit ahead of the 2008 Paralympics. Unlike , where repetitive pool exposure exacerbated her ear issues, cycling offered a lower-risk environment for sustained training while leveraging her cardiovascular endurance and determination honed over a decade in para-swimming. Coaches noted her biomechanical efficiency on the bike, particularly in time trials, aligning with her S9 swimming profile's emphasis on despite limb differences. Classification eligibility played a supporting role, as Storey's impairment met International Paralympic Committee criteria for C5 events without requiring adjustments beyond standard adaptations like handcycles for road disciplines. She expressed initial concerns about the perceived severity of her disability relative to other cyclists, fearing it might undermine her legitimacy, but performance data quickly dispelled such doubts. The switch ultimately capitalized on untapped potential in a discipline where her early swimming peak—reached by Athens 2004—could transfer without the physical toll of aquatic training.

Initial Training and Adaptation

In early 2005, persistent ear infections sidelined Sarah Storey from , leading her to cycle initially as a method to preserve her conditioning. She participated in public taster sessions at the , which quickly progressed to an invitation from for a 3,000m trial; there, she clocked a time one second shy of the world record despite minimal specific preparation. Supported by UK Sport's talent transfer initiative, which identified her sprint-based strength and power output from swimming as transferable assets, Storey received structured coaching to refine her technique. Three weeks after the trial, at the European Para-cycling Championships in the , she shattered the world record in the event en route to multiple medals, signaling her rapid acclimation. Adaptation required shifting from the short, high-intensity bursts of swimming—where her longest race lasted five minutes and emphasized weight training for upper-body power—to cycling's demands for sustained aerobic , with pursuits spanning 3–4 km and road races extending much further. At age 27, Storey viewed the switch as opportune for career extension beyond swimming's physical toll, particularly eyeing the 2012 London Paralympics, though she continued competing in the pool through the 2008 Beijing Games before fully committing to the bike. Her coach's endorsement and British Cycling's resources facilitated this pivot, enabling four world titles by 2009.

Cycling Career

Paralympic Achievements (2012–2024)

Storey transitioned to Paralympic cycling at the London 2012 Games, competing in the C5 classification for athletes with moderate impairment. She secured four gold medals, starting with the women's C5 individual pursuit on August 30, where she set a world record time of 3:43.406 to win Britain's first gold of the Games. She followed with victory in the C5 500m time trial, the C5 road time trial on September 5, and the C5 road race, dominating both track and road disciplines. At the Rio 2016 Paralympics, Storey claimed three more golds in C5 events, elevating her total Paralympic golds to 14 across and . She won the women's C5 3000m on September 8, defeating compatriot Crystal Lane in the final. Additional triumphs came in the C5 road and the combined C4-5 road race on September 17, where she finished ahead of the field in a display of sustained power. Storey extended her dominance at the 2020 Paralympics (held in 2021), earning three golds to reach 17 total. She triumphed in the C5 3000m individual pursuit, the C5 road time trial on August 31—which marked her as Britain's most decorated Paralympian at the time—and the C5 road race on September 2. In Paris 2024, at age 46, Storey added two golds in road events, bringing her Paralympic total to 19. She won the women's C5 road on September 4 with a time of 20:22.15 over 15.4 km, securing her 18th gold. Two days later, on September 6, she clinched the C5 road race in a sprint finish against France's Heidi Gaugain, marking her fifth consecutive Paralympic road race victory. These results cemented her as Britain's most successful Paralympian.
GamesEventMedal
London 2012C5 Individual PursuitGold
London 2012C5 500m Time TrialGold
London 2012C5 Road Time TrialGold
London 2012C5 Road RaceGold
Rio 2016C5 Individual PursuitGold
Rio 2016C5 Road Time TrialGold
Rio 2016C4-5 Road RaceGold
Tokyo 2020C5 Individual PursuitGold
Tokyo 2020C5 Road Time TrialGold
Tokyo 2020C5 Road RaceGold
Paris 2024C5 Road Time TrialGold
Paris 2024C5 Road RaceGold

World and European Successes

Dame Sarah Storey has secured 38 UCI Para-cycling World Championship titles, establishing her as one of the most dominant figures in the sport's history across track and road events in the C5 classification. Her world successes began prominently in 2007 with a gold in the C5 individual pursuit at the track championships in Bordeaux, France, followed by consistent victories in subsequent years. In road para-cycling, Storey claimed gold medals in both the C5 time trial and road race at every World Championship from 2009 to 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2021 to 2023, often winning by substantial margins that underscored her tactical and physical superiority. A standout performance came in 2019 at the UCI Road World Championships in , where she won four gold medals and one silver across events, contributing to her overall tally. On the track, she dominated the C5 individual pursuit, securing golds in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2020, alongside victories in the 500m time trial and other disciplines like the scratch race. Storey's European Para-cycling Championship achievements include multiple golds at the 2005 event in , (listed as Denmark in one source, but confirmed Alkmaar), where she won the C5 individual pursuit, C5 500m time trial, and C5 road race, with a silver in the C5 time trial. This early success marked her rapid adaptation to cycling following her swimming career, setting the stage for her world-level dominance. While her record emphasizes world titles, these European wins provided foundational competitive experience in international non-Paralympic fields.

Advocacy and Controversies

Positions on Sports Fairness and Eligibility

Storey has advocated for greater equity in event structures within , particularly emphasizing equal distances between men's and women's competitions to enhance fairness and visibility for female athletes. Following her gold medal win in the women's C5 at the 2024 Paralympics on September 4, she publicly condemned the organizers' decision to set the women's course at 14.4 km—half the 28.8 km distance for the men's event—describing it as an "appalling" choice that undermines efforts to promote women's para-sport. This stance aligns with her broader push, articulated as early as 2018, for women to race the same distances as men in to foster equality and competitiveness. On eligibility and classification, Storey has supported the inclusion of high-performing para-athletes in able-bodied events provided they maintain focus on Paralympic priorities, arguing in 2011 that such participation should not dilute commitment to disability sport but rather highlight versatility without compromising fairness in categorized competitions. She has also voiced ongoing frustration with the (UCI)'s governance of , criticizing its management over the past two decades for failing to adequately advance the sport's integrity and development, which implicitly affects eligibility standards and competitive equity. Storey's positions reflect a commitment to evidence-based adjustments in rules and formats that prioritize performance parity and impairment-specific classifications, drawing from her experience across C4 and C5 categories where minimal limb differences necessitate precise eligibility criteria to ensure meaningful competition. These views have positioned her as a vocal proponent of structural reforms amid controversies over event disparities and decisions.

Criticisms of Paralympic Event Structures

Dame Sarah Storey has voiced strong objections to gender disparities in Paralympic cycling event distances, particularly highlighted during the Paris 2024 Games. In the women's C5 time trial, held on September 4, 2024, the course measured 14.1 kilometers—half the 28.2 kilometers allocated to the men's C5 event—marking the shortest such distance in Paralympic history, shorter even than the 24 kilometers used in Tokyo 2020. Storey, who won gold in 20 minutes 22.15 seconds, described the decision as "appalling" and a "real disappointment," emphasizing that it undermined efforts to showcase para-sport effectively and contradicted the push for parity she had championed in women's able-bodied cycling. She noted that athletes had appealed to organizers beforehand without response, attributing the reduction to a congested schedule of 19 races, and expressed hope that distances under 20 kilometers would not recur. Storey's critiques extend to the broader management of para-cycling events under the (UCI), which oversees Paralympic disciplines. She has argued that since the UCI assumed control around 2006–2007, nearly two decades of have yielded minimal improvements in event structures, particularly in standalone para-events outside integrated able-bodied competitions. For instance, she pointed to inadequate professional presentation, including insufficient commentators, mixed-zone access, and overall , which hampers recognition and development between Paralympic cycles. Storey warned that non-integrated events, such as the upcoming 2025 World Championships in , risk negligible coverage compared to high-profile integrated races like those in Zurich. These concerns reflect Storey's for structural reforms to enhance fairness and in Paralympic events, prioritizing equitable distances, responsive scheduling, and robust promotion to sustain para-cycling's growth. Her positions underscore a with institutional inertia, as evidenced by persistent gaps in and media exposure that she links to diminished opportunities for para-athletes post-Paralympics.

Personal Life

Relationships and Family

Sarah Storey married Richard Barnaby "Barney" Storey, a British Paralympic track cyclist and tandem pilot who is partially sighted, in 2007. Barney Storey has competed as a pilot for visually impaired riders, securing three Paralympic gold medals, including tandem events at the and Games. The couple has two children: daughter Louisa, born on 30 June 2013, and son Charlie, born on 14 October 2017. Storey has described parenthood as providing a renewed perspective on her athletic career, balancing family responsibilities with training and competition. The resides in , .

Health Struggles and Resilience

Sarah Storey was born on October 26, 1977, with a congenital impairment to her left hand, caused by the limb becoming entangled with the umbilical cord during gestation in the womb. This non-genetic developmental anomaly resulted in limited functionality of the hand and wrist, without affecting her right side or overall mobility, and positioned her in the C5 classification for upper-body impaired cycling events. During her school years, Storey faced persistent from peers resentful of her early athletic prowess, which exacerbated psychological strain and led to an . She lost approximately two stone (about 12.7 kilograms) as a result, impacting her physical condition during adolescence. Storey's resilience manifested through her commitment to adaptive sports, beginning with competitive at age 11, where she honed discipline and mental fortitude despite her impairments. After a injury in 2005 prompted her switch to , she rebuilt her training regimen, leveraging the sport's demands to regain physical stability and overcome post-injury setbacks, including recovery challenges following in 2013. This adaptability, coupled with a focus on incremental progress and visualization techniques, enabled her to achieve sustained high performance, underscoring her capacity to transform adversity into .

Honours and Legacy

National and International Awards

Sarah Storey was appointed Member of the (MBE) in the 1998 for services to for people with disabilities. She received the Officer of the (OBE) in the 2009 , recognising her transition to and achievements in following the Beijing Paralympics. Following her four gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympics, Storey was elevated to Dame Commander of the (DBE) in the 2013 for services to . In addition to these honours, Storey became the first athlete to feature on four stamps in September 2012, commemorating her gold medals at the London Paralympics. She was also awarded an honorary doctorate by in December 2012 for her contributions to sport. No major international civilian awards, such as those from the beyond competitive medals, have been publicly documented in official records.

Broader Impact on Para-Sport

Dame Sarah Storey's record-breaking achievements have positioned her as a prominent in para-sport, inspiring increased participation among disabled individuals. Her 19 Paralympic gold medals across and have motivated local communities, such as through events in where she and teammates highlighted pathways into . As a figure who transitioned from to and broke numerous records, Storey exemplifies resilience and versatility, encouraging athletes to pursue multi-disciplinary excellence and defy expectations. The 2012 London Paralympics, in which Storey excelled, significantly altered public perceptions of disability and , fostering broader engagement. She noted that the Games inspired activity across generations, leading to observable increases in and outdoor participation post-event. This shift extended to greater media coverage for , contributing to a lasting cultural impact on how para-sport is viewed and supported. Storey advocates for systemic changes to enable disabled people to thrive, using para-sport success as a societal . Following her 2024 Paris victories, she emphasized that providing opportunities yields results, stating, "If you give every disabled person the chance to thrive, they will." She has criticized persistent barriers, such as inadequate , urging improvements to sustain the Paralympics' legacy beyond elite competition. Her commentary underscores the need for ongoing societal investment to translate sporting triumphs into everyday empowerment for the disabled community.

References

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