Ellie Simmonds

Ellie Simmonds OBE is a decorated Paralympic swimmer, five-time Paralympic champion, and World Record holder, who has transitioned into a broadcast personality and advocate for disability inclusion and environmental causes. After first capturing international attention as the youngest British athlete at the 2008 Beijing Summer Paralympics, Ellie Simmonds OBE became a five-time Paralympic champion and World Record holder. At the Beijing Games, she secured two gold medals in the 100m freestyle S6 and 400m freestyle S6, breaking her own world record in the latter. Her early career dominance continued with five European gold medals in 2009 and four World Championship titles in 2010, followed by two more European golds with new world records in 2011.

Simmonds continued her medal-winning form at the London 2012 Paralympics, earning two gold medals and setting new world records in the 400m freestyle S6 and 200m individual medley SM6, alongside a silver and a bronze. She followed this with three gold medals at the 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships in Montreal. In 2014, she claimed three European golds and lowered her 200m individual medley SM6 world record in Eindhoven, adding another gold at the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow. Her final Paralympic success came at Rio 2016, where Simmonds defended her 200m individual medley SM6 gold, becoming the first S6 swimmer to break the three-minute mark, and secured a bronze in the 400m freestyle S6.

She won the fourth series of ‘Cooking with the Stars’ in August 2024. Beyond media, Simmonds is a dedicated advocate, serving as a patron for Dwarf Sports Association UK, an ambassador for The Scout Association, a Girlguiding leader, a supporter of The Prince’s Trust, and a WaterAid ambassador. She was also a guest on the ‘How to Fail’ podcast in 2024.