| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Born | 31 August 1998 (age 26) [1] [2] Ware, Hertfordshire, England [3] |
| Occupation(s) | BSc Hons UoM; Laboratory Technician |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Paralympic swimming |
| Disability | Cerebral palsy affecting legs |
| Disability class | SB5, SM6 |
| Event | Breaststroke |
Medal record | |
Grace Harvey (born 31 August 1998) [1] [2] is a British Paralympic swimmer, and European and British record holder, who specializes in the breaststroke.
Harvey is a British para-swimmer competing in the S6 SB5 SM6 classification for swimmers with a physical impairment. Grace's home town is Ware, Hertfordshire. [3] [4] She learnt to swim when aged four and she took it up as a sport to control the symptoms of cerebral palsy which caused her legs to spasm. She decided that she wanted to be an athlete after she watched the 2004 Summer Paralympics. [5] Harvey is supported by National Lottery funding. [6]
Harvey's favourite competition location is Sheffield at the Ponds Forge sports centre. [4] In April 2021 she came first in points in the freestyle swimming where she beat Maisie Summers-Newton into second place. [7] She and Lyndon Longhorne both broke European records and together with Conner Morrison they were all early picks for the delayed 2020 Summer Paralympics by the selectors. Her good friend Alice Tai [4] had to withdraw from the delayed 2020 Summer Paralympics due to an injury to her elbow in June 2021. [8] While Harvey was training in Japan before the Tokyo games began she (and the BBC) was invited to Suzuka International University where she tried out a robotic walking suit that allowed her to walk for the first time. She found the experience "overwhelming" but later that day she cried realising that this might be the first and last time and that she now knew a pleasure that she had never known, but could now miss. [9]
In August 2022 she won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham by swimming the Women's 100m Breaststroke SB6. [6]
Blake Cochrane, is a retired Australian Paralympic swimmer. He won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, two gold medals at the 2012 London Paralympics, a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, and a silver and one bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
Bethany Charlotte Firth, is a Northern Irish Paralympic swimmer. Since 2014 she has competed for Great Britain; previously, Firth had represented Ireland. A six time Paralympic gold medalist, she has won gold in her specialist event - the 100 metres backstroke - for both Ireland at the 2012 Summer Paralympics and Great Britain at the 2016 and 2020 Summer Paralympics. These were in addition to the Mixed 4 x 100 metres freestyle relay S14 at the 2020 Games, and 200 metres medley and 200 metres freestyle for Great Britain at the 2016 Games, where she was the nation's most successful Paralympian with three golds and a silver medal. She competes in the S14 classification for athletes with an intellectual impairment.
Emily Beecroft is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. She represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Ashleigh Kate McConnell, is a limb deficient Paralympic swimmer of Australia. She represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, where she won gold medals in freestyle relay events.
Tully Alicia Jacqueline Kearney is a British Paralympic swimmer. Kearney currently competes in the S5/SB4/SM5 classification for swimmers with physical disabilities. She won gold and silver at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and followed this up at the Paris 2024 Games with two further gold medals, including retaining her 100 m freestyle S5 title. Since first competing at the World Para Swimming Championships in 2013 she has won thirteen World Championship medals, ten of which are gold. Kearney is a multiple British, European and World record holder.
Alice Tai, is a British paralympic swimmer. Tai competes in the SB8, SM8 and S8. She has represented Great Britain at European and World Championships and at the Commonwealth and Paralympic Games, gold medals at all levels.
Timothy Hodge is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. He has represented Australia at the 2016, 2020, and 2024 Summer Paralympics, where he won two gold, three silver and one bronze medals.
Paige Leonhardt is an Australian swimmer. She represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, where she won a silver medal and the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Jenna Jones is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. She represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and the 2024 Paris Paralympics..
Rebecca Katharine Redfern is a British visually impaired para-swimmer from Droitwich who competes in S13/SB13/SM13 disability categories. She has held British, European and World records in SB13 100m breaststroke.
Katja Dedekind is an Australian Paralympic vision-impaired swimmer and goalball player. She won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and two bronze medals at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.
Katarina Mirabelle Roxon is a medal-winning Canadian paralympic swimmer and a five-time member of Canada's Paralympic Team.
Maisie Summers-Newton is a British Paralympic swimmer, competing in S6 disability events. In August 2018, she took gold in the IPC Swimming European Championships SM6 200m individual medley and set a new world record at 2:59.60. She also holds the S6 100m Breaststroke world record in 1:32.16 which she achieved in May 2018 at the British Para-Swimming International Meet. She won two gold medals for Great Britain at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.
Great Britain competed in the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan. Originally scheduled to take place between 21 August and 6 September 2020, the Games were postponed to 24 August to 5 September 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. British athletes have competed at all sixteen consecutive Summer Paralympics since 1960.
Jasmine Greenwood is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, she won a silver medal in the 100 m butterfly S10 and competes at the 2024 Paris Paralympics..
Ruby Storm is an Australian Paralympic swimmer with an intellectual disability. She represented Australia at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships, winning a bronze medal, and at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, she won a silver and bronze medal. At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, she won a silver medal.
Abigail "Abi" Tripp is a Canadian Paralympic swimmer. She has won bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games and the World Para Swimming Championships, and won silver at the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships. She has represented Canada at the 2016 and 2020 Summer Paralympics, and will compete in swimming at the 2024 Paralympic Games.
Toni Stephanie Shaw is a British Paralympic swimmer. In 2019 she set the world record time for the S9 200m butterfly, and was also part of the team that set a new world record for the 4 × 100 m medley relay. At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, she won a bronze medal in the women's 400 metre freestyle S9 event and later went on to win gold at the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships, becoming the World Champion. She is a three-time World Champion and two-time European Champion.
Keira Stephens is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, she won two bronze medals. At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, she won a gold medal as a heat.
Katie Crowhurst is a British visually impaired para athlete who has competed internationally for Great Britain in both para swimming and paratriathlon.
