31 December 2021

ParalympicsGB stars recognised in 2022 New Year's Honours List

A whole host of Paralympians and key figures at the British Paralympic Association (BPA) have been recognised in the New Year’s Honours List 2022.

45 of those connected to the successful Tokyo 2020 Paralympics have been honoured for their services to sport.

Nick Webborn OBE, Chair of the BPA since 2017, has been awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire).

Tokyo 2020 was Nick’s eleventh Paralympic Games and he is one of the world’s leading sports medicine specialists, with particular expertise in the area of disability.

There was also a CBE for Jody Cundy OBE, who became the first British male athlete to win medals at seven consecutive Paralympic Games this summer.

Another trailblazer in the cycling world - British Cycling Performance Director Stephen Park - received a CBE.

Park presided over a phenomenal Tokyo campaign for the ParalympicsGB cycling team, with all of its members returning home with medals.

Cycling star Jody won gold in the mixed team sprint (C1-5) and silver in the Kilo (C4-5).

Cockroft celebrates her new world record on the track in Tokyo

Order of the British Empire (OBE) awards were given to nine Paralympians and Mike Sharrock, who serves as Chief Executive of the BPA.

Hannah Cockroft MBE received an OBE having struck double gold in record time in Tokyo, triumphs that took the wheelchair racing star’s tally to seven Paralympic titles.

Kadeena Cox MBE was honoured with an OBE for services to athletics and cycling as she competed in both sports for the second successive Games.

David Smith MBE became Britain’s most successful boccia player having retained his title and has now been made OBE.

Like Smith, Bethany Firth MBE, Hannah Russell MBE, Sophie Wells MBE, Natasha Baker MBE and Aled Davies MBE were given OBEs after they retained titles they won at Rio 2016.

Jeanette Chippington MBE saw her seventh Paralympic appearance rewarded with an OBE having represented ParalympicsGB as a swimmer and then a canoeist.

Our history making wheelchair rugby champions embrace in Tokyo

More than 30 Paralympic champions appeared on the New Year Honours List for the first time and were in receipt of MBEs.

Britain memorably struck gold in wheelchair rugby for the first time, ParalympicsGB’s maiden victory in a team sport.

That triumph saw Jim Roberts, Nick Cummins, Stuart Robinson, Jamie Stead, Jack Smith, Christopher Ryan, Jonathan Coggan, Ryan Cowling, Gavin Walker, Kylie Grimes, Ayaz Bhuta, Aaron Phipps and coach Paul Shaw all awarded MBEs.

ParalympicsGB’s successful Games in the pool were highlighted by five medals on debut for Reece Dunn, now given an MBE.

The same honour went to Jordan Catchpole, with whom he combined to take gold in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay SM14, and double medallist Tully Kearney.

19-year-old Maisie Summers-Newton, who won two gold medals in Tokyo, joins them in the ranks of those given an MBE.

An OBE was awarded to British Swimming National Performance Director Chris Spice.

Five of those who won Paralympic gold on the athletics track have received MBEs - Thomas Young, Jonathan Broom-Edwards, Andrew Small, Daniel Pembroke and Owen Miller.

Rowers Oliver Stanhope, Ellen Buttrick, Giedre Rakauskaite and Erin Kennedy were also recognised.

Canoeists Charlotte Henshaw and Laura Sugar joined Chippington on the Honours List, as did triathlete Lauren Steadman, fencer Piers Gilliver and judoka Chris Skelley.

Cycling champions Jaco van Gass, Benjamin Watson and Matthew Rotherham have also been appointed MBEs after successful debut Games.

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