Dame Sarah Storey

Dame Sarah Storey is Britain’s most decorated Paralympian of all time, with an extraordinary 30 Paralympic medals to her name -including 19 gold, 8 silver and 3 bronze.

Sarah began her Paralympic career as a swimmer at just 14 years old, winning 2 gold, 3 silver and a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Games. She went on to compete at three further Paralympic Games as a swimmer, adding more medals to her collection before turning her attention to cycling.

Her cycling career proved equally remarkable. Sarah went on to win gold medals at five consecutive Paralympic Games, from Beijing 2008 through to Paris 2024. She won her first Paralympic gold at the age of 14 and her final gold 32 years later at the age of 46.

Sarah has also made history away from the Paralympic Games. In 2010, she became the first disabled cyclist to compete for England at the Commonwealth Games alongside non-disabled athletes. Across her career, she has won an incredible 45 World titles and set 77 world records.

Her achievements have been recognised with an MBE, OBE and, in 2013, a Damehood for services to Para Cycling. In July 2025, Sarah announced her retirement from competitive sport, bringing an extraordinary career to a close.

Sarah may have 30 Paralympic medals, but you won’t find them all in a fancy display cabinet! Her medals are kept in socks, with her mum making special pouches for each one. And after years of 4.45am training starts, Sarah is now hoping to add a little Strictly sparkle to her remarkable sporting career.