INSPIRATIONAL Ellie Challis became a Paralympic swimming champion for the first time – 18 years after she graced the front page of The Sun.
Golden Challis is appearing in the sports section after coming home first in the S3 women’s 50 metres backstroke in a time of 53.56 seconds.
Ellie Challis has won swimming gold at the Paralympics[/caption]
Inspirational Challis appeared on the front page of The Sun 18 years ago[/caption]
This was an upgrade from the silver medal won as a 17-year-old in the same discipline three years ago in Tokyo.
Clacton-born Challis contracted meningitis as a child and surgeons removed both legs and part of each arm to save her life after the killer disease poisoned her blood.
At the age of three, she was fitted with £20,000 prosthetic legs – paid for through a fund-raising drive by locals in Romford – by specialists at the world-famous Dorset Orthopaedic Clinic.
The special frame allowed her to walk again and she learned to feed herself using a spoon between the stumps of her arms – with the help of her twin sister Sophie.
It was a truly inspiring story and warmed the hearts of the nation when it appeared in our newspaper on December 7, 2006.
Nearly two decades later, she has reached the pinnacle of her sport in the Paralympic pool in Paris.
There is the chance she could win another medal on Tuesday evening in the women’s S3 100 metres freestyle.
Challis, who often arrives at competitions on her blue scooter called ‘Whirly’, had a disruptive build-up to these Games as she had surgery on both legs in November 2023.
The 20-year-old said: “A personal best was all I could ask for whether that got me first, second or third, then that’s what it was. But wow that was a good swim.
“Para sport is so different – we have people drop in and out of our classifications all the time and you never know what the year is going to hold.
Challis took top spot in the women’s 50m backstroke[/caption]
Challis hailed it as a ‘dream come true’[/caption]
“I went to the worlds in 2019 and since then I’ve just gone up and up and up.
“It’s been the most incredible day ever. I was so confident in myself but it’s a swimming race anything can happen. But wow that was fun.
“My family are just up there. I just want to say a big thank you to my dad, my sisters and my coach Aled as I couldn’t have done it without them.
“Since working with Aled two years ago I’ve improved so much. He gives me so much confidence in my swimming and I really couldn’t have done it without him, either at the worlds two years ago or today.
“I’ve got one day left and we’ll see what happens tomorrow but this is a full dream come true and tomorrow is just about enjoying every moment and taking it all in and whatever happens, happens.”
Louise Fiddes, from Welwyn Garden City, added to the gold tally with success in the women’s SB14 100 metres breaststroke – Britain’s 13th gold in the sport after five days of competition.
Challis’ victory comes after she became the first British quadruple amputee to master snowboarding at the age of 14.
A year later she ended up joining her local disabled swimming club.
