Sarah Storey

Dame Sarah Joanne Storey, (née Bailey; born 26 October 1977) is a British Paralympic athlete in cycling and swimming, and a multiple gold medalist in the Paralympic Games, and six times British (able-bodied) national track champion (2 × Pursuit, 1 × Points, 3 × Team Pursuit). Her total of 28 Paralympic medals including 17 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. 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. She is regarded as one of the most experienced campaigners in the history of the Paralympics as she took part at the Paralympics on eight occasions in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020. She is a 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.

Early life
Storey was born Sarah Bailey in Manchester 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. As a schoolgirl, she was subjected to bullying by her school mates and also faced eating disorder issues at school. 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.

Swimming at the Paralympic Games
Storey began her Paralympic career as a swimmer, winning two golds, three silvers and a bronze in Barcelona in 1992. She made her maiden appearance at the Paralympics in 1992 at the age of 14. She continued swimming in the next three Paralympic Games before switching to cycling in 2005, reputedly because of a persisting ear infection. It was revealed that she ended up with chronic fatigue syndrome before her 19th birthday.

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/CFS, 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.

Cycling
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 – and the road

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, and successfully defended her title in 2009. In 2014, she added a third national track title with a win in the points race.

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. She was also the second Paralympic athlete overall competing for England at the Games, following archer Danielle Brown earlier in Delhi.

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, she was informed afterwards that she was being dropped from the team pursuit squad.

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

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.

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.

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

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. 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. During the qualifying heat event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics, she also incredibly shattered her own world record by four seconds in the individual pursuit C5 category.

Personal life
Storey married tandem pilot and coach Barney Storey in 2007. She gave birth to a daughter on 30 June 2013 and a son on 14 October 2017. She and her husband live in Disley, Cheshire.

In April 2019, Storey was appointed Active Travel Commissioner for the Sheffield City Region.

Honours
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". 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." In 2012, she was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Manchester. 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".

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. She won The Sunday Times Disability Sportswoman of the Year in 2020, her win being officially announced in an online ceremony.

Major results

 * 1992
 * Paralympic Games
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg 100 m Backstroke
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg 200 m Individual Medley
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg 400 m Freestyle
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg 4x100 m Freestyle
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg 4x100 m Medley
 * 3rd Bronze medal blank.svg 100 m Freestyle


 * 1994
 * World Para Swimming Championships
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg 200 m Individual Medley
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg 100 m Breaststroke
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg 100 m Backstroke
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg 400 m Freestyle
 * 3rd Bronze medal blank.svg 4x100 m Medley


 * 1996
 * Paralympic Games
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg 100 m Breaststroke
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg 100 m Backstroke
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg 200 m Individual Medley
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg 400 m Freestyle
 * 3rd Bronze medal blank.svg 100 m Freestyle


 * 1998
 * World Para Swimming Championships
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg 100 m Backstroke
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg 4x100 m Medley
 * 3rd Bronze medal blank.svg 400 m Freestyle
 * 3rd Bronze medal blank.svg 200 m Individual Medley
 * 3rd Bronze medal blank.svg 100 m Breaststroke
 * 3rd Bronze medal blank.svg 4x100 m Freestyle


 * 2000
 * Paralympic Games
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg 100 m Backstroke
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg 4x100 m Medley


 * 2002
 * World Para Swimming Championships
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg 100 m Freestyle
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg 400 m Freestyle
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg 200 m Individual Medley
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg 100 m Backstroke
 * 3rd Bronze medal blank.svg 50 m Freestyle


 * 2004
 * Paralympic Games
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg 100 m Breaststroke
 * 2nd Silver medal blank.svg 200 m Individual Medley
 * 3rd Bronze medal blank.svg 100 m Freestyle


 * 2005
 * European Para-cycling Championships
 * 1st UEC Champion Jersey.svg Road Race
 * 1st UEC Champion Jersey.svg Individual Pursuit
 * 1st UEC Champion Jersey.svg 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 Jersey rainbow.svg Individual Pursuit
 * 3rd 500m Time Trial
 * National Track Championships
 * 1st MaillotReinoUnido.PNG 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 Jersey rainbow.svg Individual Pursuit
 * 3rd 500m Time Trial
 * National Road Championships
 * 1st MaillotReinoUnido.PNG Para-cycling Road Race
 * National Track Championships
 * 1st MaillotReinoUnido.PNG Para-cycling Individual Pursuit
 * 7th 500m Time Trial
 * UCI Paralympic World Cup
 * 1st Individual Pursuit
 * 1st 500m Time Trial


 * 2008
 * Paralympic Games
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg Time Trial
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg Individual Pursuit
 * National Track Championships
 * 1st MaillotReinoUnido.PNG Individual Pursuit
 * UCI Paralympic World Cup
 * 1st Individual Pursuit
 * 3rd 500m Time Trial


 * 2009
 * UCI Track Para-cycling World Championships
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Individual Pursuit
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg 500m Time Trial
 * UCI Road Para-cycling World Championships
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Road Race
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Time Trial
 * UCI Masters Road Para-cycling World Championships
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Time Trial
 * 2nd Road Race
 * National Track Championships
 * 1st MaillotReinoUnido.PNG Individual Pursuit
 * UCI Paralympic World Cup
 * 1st Individual Pursuit
 * 1st 500m Time Trial


 * 2010
 * UCI Road Para-cycling World Championships
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Road Race
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Time Trial
 * National Track Championships
 * 1st MaillotReinoUnido.PNG Team Pursuit
 * 2nd Individual Pursuit
 * 6th Commonwealth Games, Individual Pursuit
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg 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 Jersey rainbow.svg Individual Pursuit
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg 500m Time Trial
 * UCI Road Para-cycling World Championships
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Road Race
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Time Trial
 * National Track Championships
 * 1st MaillotReinoUnido.PNG Team Pursuit
 * 4th Individual Pursuit
 * 1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall 2 Days of Bedford International Stage Race
 * 1st Jersey polkadot.svg 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 Gold medal blank.svg Individual Pursuit
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg 500m Time Trial
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg Time Trial
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg Road Race
 * 2012 UCI Track Para-cycling World Championships
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Individual Pursuit
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg 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 Jersey rainbow.svg Individual Pursuit
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Scratch Race
 * 3rd 500m Time Trial
 * 2014 UCI Road Para-cycling World Championships
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Road Race
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Time Trial
 * National Track Championships
 * 1st MaillotReinoUnido.PNG 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 Jersey rainbow.svg Individual Pursuit
 * 2nd 500m Time Trial
 * 2015 UCI Road Para-cycling World Championships
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Road Race
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Time Trial
 * National Track Championships
 * 1st MaillotReinoUnido.PNG 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 Gold medal blank.svg Individual Pursuit
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg Time Trial
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg Road Race
 * 2016 UCI Track Para-cycling World Championships
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg 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 Jersey rainbow.svg Individual Pursuit


 * 2020
 * 2019 UCI Track Para-cycling World Championships
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Individual Pursuit
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Scratch Race
 * 1st Jersey rainbow.svg Omnium


 * 2020
 * Paralympic Games
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg Individual Pursuit
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg Time Trial
 * 1st Gold medal blank.svg Road Race