As well-earned celebrations continue to mark GB athlete successes at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the GLL Sport Foundation has been proudly counting the impact of their athlete support programme.

The GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) is the UK’s largest independent athlete support programme and had an impressive group of 42 Paralympic athletes competing at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games that are either being currently funded or have been previously supported by the GSF programme. 

In total, the athletes amassed 39 medals across 36 different Paralympic events.

This included an astonishing total of 16 gold medals.  GSF supported Paralympic athletes included Gold Medallists Louise Fiddes, Grace Harvey, Amy Truesdale, Tully Kearney,  Giedre Rakauskaite, Daniel Pembroke, Jodie Grinham and Dimitri Coutya.

The GSF is the brain-child of GLL, the largest UK-based charitable social enterprise delivering sport, health and leisure facilities across 250 venues in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In partnership with SportsAid, the Foundation works directly with the established national ‘talent pathways’ of Sport National Governing Bodies. It also works directly with over 60 local authorities and local sports charities who partner the scheme across the UK.

Since its inception in 2008, the GLL Sport Foundation has provided over 28,000 athlete awards totalling over £15m.

Supported GSF Ambassador and Paralympics GB athlete Grace Harvey (pictured) said: "To say that I wanted to become Paralympic Champion, is something that I kept very close to my heart as at times it felt like an unattainable goal. 

"Touching the wall first in the 100m Breaststroke and looking up to see number 1 next to my name was incredible.  To finish first was testament to all of the years of hard work that not just I but the coaches and other support staff have dedicated to my performance. 

"This also includes the amazing financial support from the GLL Sport Foundation."

Peter Bundey, GSF Chair and CEO of GLL stated: "We are delighted that these GSF-supported Paralympic athletes delivered such fantastic medal-winning performances for Great Britain.

"Not only will their success directly inspire future generations to excel in sport but the 'GSF effect' goes significantly further into driving local communities to become more active and engaged in sport and physical activity, thereby, boosting health and wellbeing."

The GLL Sport Foundation is committed to continue its support of athletes and local communities as part of their long term plan - realising the potential of sport to enrich lives.

GSF Patron Sally Gunnell said: "I am absolutely thrilled by the performance of our GSF athletes at the Paris Paralympics.

"These great performances are testament to the hard work, discipline and determination of those individuals who took part.

"The success of Paralympics GB at the Paris Games underlines the continuing relevance of the GSF programme and its focus on widening and deepening opportunities in sport for local communities."

Paris 2024 Paralympic medallists supported by the GLL Sport Foundation:

Name                            Event                                                 Medal      

Fran Brown                    Cycling - Women's C1-3 ITT                 Silver
Claire Cashmore MBE     Triathlon - PTS5                                   Silver
Dimitri Coutya                Fencing - Men's Foil Category B            Gold
Dimitri Coutya                Fencing - Men's Foil Team                    Silver
Dimitri Coutya                Fencing - Men's Epee Category B          Gold
Dimitri Coutya                Fencing - Men's Epee Team                  Bronze
Kadeena Cox OBE           Cycling - Mixed team sprint                  Gold
Aled Davies OBE             Athletics - Shot Put F63                       Silver
Mari Durward-Akhurst     Equestrian - Ind f/style event Gd1        Bronze
David Ellis                      Triathlon - PTVI                                   Gold
Louise Fiddes                 Swimming - 100m Freestyle S1            Bronze
Louise Fiddes                 Swimming - 100m B/stroke SB14         Gold
Ben Fox                         Men's Wheelchair Basketball                 Silver
Jodie Grinham                Archery - Women's ind c/pound open    Bronze
Jodie Grinham                Archery - Mixed team compound          Gold
Grace Harvey                 Swimming - 100m Breaststroke SB5     Gold
Blaine Hunt                    Cycling - Mens C4-5 time trial              Silver
Tully Kearney MBE          Swimming - 200m Freestyle S5            Gold
Tully Kearney MBE          Swimming - 100m Freestyle S5            Gold
Erin Kennedy MBE          Rowing - PR3 Mixed coxed four             Gold
Anna Nicholson              Athletics - Women's Shot Put F35         Bronze
Jim Palmer                    Men's Wheelchair Basketball                 Silver
Dan Pembroke MBE        Athletics - Javelin F13                         Gold
David Phillipson             Canoe - Men's Kayak Single 200m KL2  Silver
Daniel Powell                 Judo - Men 90kg J1                             Silver
Benjamin Pritchard         Rowing - Men's PR1 Single Sculls         Gold
Giedre Rakauskaite MBE Rowing - PR3 Mixed coxed four            Gold
Matthew Robertson        Cycling - Mens C2 individual pursuit      Bronze
Zac Shaw                      Athletics - Mens 100m T12                   Bronze
Zac Shaw                      Athletics - 4x100m universal relay         Silver
Chris Skelley MBE          Judo - Men 90kg J2                              Bronze
Ali Smith                       Athletics - 4x100m universal relay        Silver
Alice Tai                        Swimming - 100m Backstroke S8          Gold
Alice Tai                        Swimming - 200m IM S8                      Bronze
Alice Tai                        Swimming - 400m Freestyle S8             Silver
Alice Tai                        Swimming - 50m Freestyle S8               Silver
Alice Tai                        Swimming - 100m Butterfly S8              Bronze
Amy Truesdale               Taekwondo - Women's K44 +65kg         Gold
Callie-Ann Warrington     Swimming - 100m Butterfly S10           Silver
 
 
For full details on supported athletes at the Olympic and Paralympic Games and to access details on the 2024/5 athlete application period: www.gllsportfoundation.org

GLL Sport Foundation Award Partners

The GLL Sport Foundation works in partnership with SportsAid, SportsAid Wales, Mary Peters Trust, Switch The Play and all corporate sponsors to develop the programme, co-ordinate talent identification and national governing body funding recommendations. 

The GLL Sport Foundation is funded and supported by:

Premium Sponsors:
GLL – a charitable social enterprise for all the community: www.gll.org
TechnoGym – the Wellness company: www.technogym.com/gb
SRS – complete retail solutions: www.srsleisure.com
Speedo – the world’s best swimwear brand: www.speedo.co.uk
Selecta – vending services: www.selecta.co.uk
Zurich – insurance based solutions: www.zurich.co.uk
 
Sponsors:
Margolis – business systems: www.margolis.co.uk
Communisis – communicate more profitably: www.communisis.com
Insite – flexible IT services delivered: www.insite-europe.co.uk
KJ Evans Electrical Limited: www.kjevanselectrical.co.uk
Taylor Made Designs – printed & merchandise solutions: www.taylormadedesigns.co.uk
Cofely-GDF Suez – leading providers of integrated services: www.cofely-gdfsuez.co.uk
Pumps & Motors Ltd – services to industry: www.pumpsmotors.co.uk

 

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