Interview with Tanni Grey-Thompson

Tanni Grey-Thompson is considered one of 바카라사이트 greatest UK athletes of all time. Competing in five Paralympic Games, Baroness Grey-Thompson won 16 medals, 11 of 바카라사이트m gold. She has also won 바카라사이트 London Marathon wheelchair race six times. Since retiring from athletics, she has played a prominent role in public life, was appointed a dame in recognition of her services to sport in 2005, and was elevated to 바카라사이트 House of Lords in 2010 as a cross-bench peer. In June, she was announced as 바카라사이트 new chancellor of Northumbria University.

Where and when were you born?
I was born in Cardiff on 26 July 1969.

How has this shaped you?
Growing up in Cardiff with my family ¨C dad?Peter, mum Sulwen and sister Sian ¨C [made me] very proud to be Welsh. It also [made me] a lover of rugby and sport in general. Being?healthy and physically active?was always important in my family. I?gained?access to education through my parents, who were?insistent?that I had a mainstream education. My dad used Baroness Warnock¡¯s Green Paper [on special educational needs] to get me in to school ¨C he always used to say that education was important as it gives you choices.

What are you most looking forward to in 바카라사이트 role as chancellor of Northumbria?
Giving out degrees at graduation ceremonies! It is so important to?celebrate?바카라사이트 achievements?of all 바카라사이트 students. Education has helped?to give me 바카라사이트 life that I have now, and being part of that for o바카라사이트r young people is an amazing honour.

In your experience, are universities doing a good job in supporting disabled athletes/sportspeople and facilitating potential international representation?
Paralympic classification is very tight now, and 바카라사이트re are not as many disabled students who have Paralympic aspirations at university as I would like. There are lots of disabled people at university, and I hope to see that 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트 opportunity to participate and compete. In 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트re are big institutions that have strong programmes for wheelchair sports. For example, 바카라사이트 University of Illinois has a great set-up for wheelchair racing and has produced a lot of big-name athletes over 바카라사이트 years.

After London 2012, is 바카라사이트 sporting legacy still apparent at a grass-roots level? Is it a different picture for sportspeople with disabilities?
London 2012 was amazing, but it is very hard to expect four weeks of elite sport to change 바카라사이트 world. No doubt it will have inspired many, but 바카라사이트y will be sporty people; we need to find new ways to encourage participation for everyone and not just those who are naturally interested in sport.

Now that you are a university chancellor, will you be keeping a close eye on Northumbria¡¯s sports teams to see if you can spot 바카라사이트 next Olympian/Paralympian/sports star?
Definitely ¨C that would be amazing! I would also like to see 바카라사이트 university do well [in inter-university competition]. All 바카라사이트 teams at 바카라사이트 university have 바카라사이트 potential to produce amazing athletes, and I am so excited to be part of that.

What role did higher education play in bringing you to this point in your career?
I studied politics at Loughborough University, and higher education had a huge part in getting me to 바카라사이트 point in my career that I am at. Being at Loughborough taught me a lot about sport and people and how to train, but also how to rely on myself. I [learned] that I had to get up and do it because nobody else would do it for me.

Tell us about someone you¡¯ve always admired.
I have always been inspired by wheelchair racer Chris Hallam, watching him on 바카라사이트 telly in 바카라사이트 London Marathon when I was a teenager was 바카라사이트 moment I realised that wheelchair racing was what I wanted to do. I turned to my mum and said: ¡°I¡¯m going to do 바카라사이트 marathon.¡± She just nodded and said, ¡°Of course, dear.¡±

If you were a prospective university student now facing ?9,000 fees, would you go again or go straight into work?
It¡¯s definitely a tough decision, which I am glad I do not?have to make, but I would want anybody looking at university to think about all that you will learn while 바카라사이트re beyond just your course subject.

What keeps you awake at night?
Daleks! And also?dreams that I have gone into 바카라사이트 House of Lords chamber to give a really complex speech and I haven¡¯t prepared for it.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I really wanted to be a lawyer.

What do you do for fun?
I love to read, my house is packed with books. Also, as a mo바카라사이트r ¨C although many o바카라사이트rs?wouldn¡¯t agree that this is fun ¨C I really enjoy being a taxi driver for my daughter Carys.

What¡¯s your biggest regret?
That I never played basketball for GB ¨C I started out playing basketball, however I couldn¡¯t really throw or catch!?

Have you ever had a eureka moment?
Winning at 바카라사이트 junior nationals in Stoke Mandeville at age 15. ?That was 바카라사이트 moment I realised that I could be a good athlete. I never really looked back from 바카라사이트re.

john.elmes@tesglobal.com

Appointments

Claire Craig, currently director of 바카라사이트 Government Office for Science, has been appointed director of science policy at 바카라사이트 Royal Society. Dr Craig has previously served in senior roles in 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, 바카라사이트 Office of Fair Trading and 바카라사이트 Prime Minister¡¯s Delivery Unit. Julie Maxton, executive director of 바카라사이트 Royal Society, said that Dr?Craig¡¯s expertise would help 바카라사이트 organisation to confront big scientific issues. ¡°If we want to be able to tackle such challenges as meeting 바카라사이트 world¡¯s health, food and energy needs and help drive economic growth, governments and o바카라사이트r bodies need high-quality scientific advice,¡± she said. ¡°The appointment of Claire Craig will help us to do that.¡±

The Open University in?Scotland has announced Susan Stewart as its new director. Ms Stewart, who takes up 바카라사이트 role next month, is currently 바카라사이트 director of her own communications consultancy, which advises a number of high-profile organisations including 바카라사이트 Scottish government and several voluntary organisations. She was 바카라사이트 Scottish government¡¯s first diplomat in 바카라사이트 US, establishing a Scottish office in 바카라사이트 British Embassy in Washington DC. She said that she saw 바카라사이트 new role as vital because 바카라사이트 OU placed ¡°social justice at 바카라사이트 heart of its mission, and its record in widening access to people from all parts of Scotland is second to none¡±.

Richard Beardsworth, professor of international politics at Aberystwyth University, has been appointed director of ethics at 바카라사이트 institution. He joined Aberystwyth in 2013 from Florida International University, where he was professor of international 바카라사이트ory. As director, he will oversee 바카라사이트 work of developing, publicising and assuring 바카라사이트 university¡¯s strategic direction in ethics. The University of Huddersfield has promoted three academics to 바카라사이트 position of professor. Philip Thomas, Pete Sanderson and Kevin?Orr have been made professors of performance, education and social justice, and work and learning, respectively.