I've been told I was brave, or that I challenged adversity. Growing up in a middle-class family in Cardiff didn't feel that adverse.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

Through my professional life as both an athlete, and latterly with organisations such as the Youth Citizenship Commission, I've seen first hand the power that sport possesses as one of the few vehicles that actually engages with young people and gets them interacting with each other and the communities in which they live.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

I've always regarded self-pity as a wasted emotion.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

I've always tried simply to be as good as I can at what I do. I've known success and failure along the way and I think you need to experience both to appreciate the highs when they happen.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

My political views are left of centre but I think there are a lot of advantages of being a cross-bencher because you can vote with your heart, and in any case, I believe sport should be non-political.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

My parents felt physical activity was massively important for me to be able to have an independent life - I needed to be strong enough to climb up a flight of stairs by myself, they insisted, and they were right.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

Perhaps we need to redefine our idea of role models; they're not always elite athletes whose success might seem too distant or unachievable. Sometimes it's our friend who just smashed her first 10k, or our Zumba teacher who is enthusiastic, encouraging and real.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

The Paralympics defined my life, but they also reach into homes across the nation, redefining public perception of what's possible.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

Despite hanging up my racing wheels over a decade ago, I still get a buzz when we enter an Olympic and Paralympic year.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

The Paralympian Chris Hallam, who has died aged 50, was one of the most influential athletes in the development of disability sport.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

For me, watching the 1985 London Marathon was a seminal moment.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

At 70, my late father, Peter, underwent a foot amputation after surgical complications. There were suggestions that at his age being in a wheelchair was no life for him. Yet the time we had together after the operation was something I will always remember. In other words, his quality of life was misjudged.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

I've had ups and downs, like most people, in my personal and professional life. But I value those - and it is disappointing that others sometimes don't.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

Disability, whether as a private or a public-policy issue, is the subject on which I receive by far the most correspondence. It is both a personal and highly emotive topic, and touches on the law, public policy and social attitudes.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

In the morning I make sure I look in the mirror without my contact lenses in, because it's much more pleasant. With contacts, I see wrinkles around my eyes and realise how much more important foundation is as I get older.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

I'm too much of a coward for plastic surgery, but if I could wave a magic wand and change something, it would be my ears. They are large and they stick out - my left ear farther than my right.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

I always wanted long hair you could flick, like the girls in shampoo ads. Before there were straighteners, I didn't have the right sort of hair to wear it long, and obviously short hair is more practical when you're competing.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

I really like dyeing my hair. My mum let me dye it orange when I was six, with one of those wash-in, wash-out things. I haven't been my natural mousey brown since I was 13, and when my hair was really short I'd change the colour every two weeks.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

The question of when to start a family is not easy for any career woman. But the decision can be even harder when your career is in sport.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

Training and competing at the top level are the all-consuming parts of an athlete's life: a conveyor belt with the continuous goal of proving you can be, and are, the best. It takes years to get to the top, so it is hard not to try to make the most of it once you are there.

Tanni Grey-Thompson

Tanni Grey-Thompson Quotes

I've been told I was brave, or that I challenged adversity. Growing up in a middle-class family in Cardiff didn't feel that adverse.

I've always regarded self-pity as a wasted emotion.

I've always tried simply to be as good as I can at what I do. I've known success and failure along the way and I think you need to experience both to appreciate the highs when they happen.

My political views are left of centre but I think there are a lot of advantages of being a cross-bencher because you can vote with your heart, and in any case, I believe sport should be non-political.

My parents felt physical activity was massively important for me to be able to have an independent life - I needed to be strong enough to climb up a flight of stairs by myself, they insisted, and they were right.

Perhaps we need to redefine our idea of role models; they're not always elite athletes whose success might seem too distant or unachievable. Sometimes it's our friend who just smashed her first 10k, or our Zumba teacher who is enthusiastic, encouraging and real.

The Paralympics defined my life, but they also reach into homes across the nation, redefining public perception of what's possible.

Despite hanging up my racing wheels over a decade ago, I still get a buzz when we enter an Olympic and Paralympic year.

The Paralympian Chris Hallam, who has died aged 50, was one of the most influential athletes in the development of disability sport.

For me, watching the 1985 London Marathon was a seminal moment.

I've had ups and downs, like most people, in my personal and professional life. But I value those - and it is disappointing that others sometimes don't.

Disability, whether as a private or a public-policy issue, is the subject on which I receive by far the most correspondence. It is both a personal and highly emotive topic, and touches on the law, public policy and social attitudes.

In the morning I make sure I look in the mirror without my contact lenses in, because it's much more pleasant. With contacts, I see wrinkles around my eyes and realise how much more important foundation is as I get older.

I'm too much of a coward for plastic surgery, but if I could wave a magic wand and change something, it would be my ears. They are large and they stick out - my left ear farther than my right.

I always wanted long hair you could flick, like the girls in shampoo ads. Before there were straighteners, I didn't have the right sort of hair to wear it long, and obviously short hair is more practical when you're competing.

I really like dyeing my hair. My mum let me dye it orange when I was six, with one of those wash-in, wash-out things. I haven't been my natural mousey brown since I was 13, and when my hair was really short I'd change the colour every two weeks.

The question of when to start a family is not easy for any career woman. But the decision can be even harder when your career is in sport.

Training and competing at the top level are the all-consuming parts of an athlete's life: a conveyor belt with the continuous goal of proving you can be, and are, the best. It takes years to get to the top, so it is hard not to try to make the most of it once you are there.