Para sport figures recognised in King’s Birthday Honours List

ParalympicsGB Chief Executive David Clarke is among a number of key figures in Para sport recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2023.

Former blind footballer Clarke, who took up his new role at the British Paralympic Association in March this year after serving on the Board for six years, including two years as Vice-chair, has been awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for services to Paralympic sport.

Clarke represented his country 144 times in blind football scoring a record 128 goals in the process. He competed for ParalympicsGB at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Paralympic Games and also in Goalball at Atlanta 1996. Prior to taking up his new leadership role with ParalympicsGB, Clarke was Chief Operating Officer at the Royal National Institute of Blind People.

ParalympicsGB Board member and two-time Paralympic archer Pippa Britton, a previous Vice Chair of UK Anti-Doping and current Vice Chair of Sport Wales, receives an OBE for services to Sport, while former Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby Chief Executive David Pond has been recognised for his services to Wheelchair rugby with an MBE (Member of the British Empire).

Pond joined GB Wheelchair Rugby in 2009 and was at the helm when the team won their first ever Paralympic gold at Tokyo 2020.

Three current Paralympic athletes have also been recognised in the King’s Honours List, with Great Britain’s Wheelchair tennis stars Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid awarded OBEs for services to their sport.

Earlier this month the pair won the men’s wheelchair doubles title at the French Open for a fourth successive year – their 17th Grand Slam doubles title together. Hewett, 25, has won a remarkable 24 Grand Slams – seven singles and 17 doubles - while Scot Reid has two singles and 21 doubles titles to his name. The pair narrowly missed out on Paralympic gold in Tokyo, taking home silver just as they had done at Rio 2016.

Fellow wheelchair tennis player Lucy Shuker has also been recognised for services to Sport with the British Empire Medal. The 43-year-old four-time Paralympian has won more than 100 international singles and doubles titles throughout her career, including Paralympic bronze at London 2012 and Rio 2016, then silver at Tokyo 2020, alongside doubles partner Jordanne Whiley.