‘Impact of 2012 was amazing – now it is OK to be different’
Simmonds knows all about power of Paralympics to transform lives and welcomes its legacy of changing attitudes
If anyone is perfectly placed to talk about the transformative legacy of the Paralympic Games, it is Ellie Simmonds. The 26-year-old is not just one of Britain’s most famous Paralympians, but one of the country’s most renowned sportspeople full stop: a five-time gold medallist, honoured with an MBE and a face that has been plastered across advertising hoardings ever since her Games debut as a 13-year-old in 2008.
Her contribution has now been recognised by being asked to carry the flag at today’s opening ceremony – alongside archer John Stubbs – but of more interest to her than personal honours is the shift in “what is seen as normal” since she burst onto the sporting scene.
“Before the Beijing Games, for example, people thought I was going to the Special Olympics,” says Simmonds, who has achondroplasia, a form of short-limbed dwarfism. “Back then, the Paralympics and disabilities were still under wraps. People didn’t really know what it was, but London 2012, and what was showcased there, has made it amazing.
“What is seen as ‘normal’ has changed. Kids are growing up and are more aware that there are so many different people. We’ve had Jonnie [Peacock], Lauren [Steadman], Will [Bayley] in Strictly and Hollie [Arnold] in I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here. There’s so many athletes out there with disabilities now on reality TV. “We’ve seen the rise in it being OK to be different, the acceptance, the change, the protest and the awareness that there are so many different people out there.
“And it’s for people with all disabilities, not just for individuals with achondroplasia.”
The Paralympic movement’s theme has always been about heralding change and the “We are 15” launch ahead of these Games – representing the 1.2 billion people with disabilities, 15 per cent of the world’s population – is a project Simmonds hopes could bring tangible changes in society.
“It’s about the acceptance of everyone. No matter what you look like, no matter your skin colour, your size. There’s so many different people out there and everyone isn’t the same, and isn’t that amazing in a sense? Because if we were all similar, life would be boring.”
Even for an athlete as garlanded as Simmonds, being asked to carry the flag means a great deal. “I did get a bit emotional that I even got asked, because for me in the past, I’ve seen the greats, like Chris Hoy, carrying the flag at London 2012 or Lee Pearson at the Paralympics. Amazing athletes, the best of the best,” she says. That description certainly befits Simmonds, who has been one of Britain’s most consistent Paralympic performers. After her double gold in Beijing, she added two more in London – as well as a silver and bronze – before adding a fourth gold in the 200m individual medley SM6 in Rio.
Yet that stellar CV does not mean she will step out in Tokyo feeling less scrutiny – quite the opposite, in fact. “As an older woman now, I feel the pressure more,” she said.
“In Beijing, I was 13, I was a kid; I look at 13-year-olds now and think, ‘Wow, you’re young’, so for me to go to China and do what I did – come away with two gold medals was special.” Simmonds admits London was her “favourite” Games, but Tokyo promises to be very different.
Whereas most venues were full to capacity on home soil, in Japan there will be empty stands and the constant looming threat of Covid-19.
Barely a day goes by without fears being expressed for the security of the Games, whose athletes are often classed as vulnerable. Simmonds, however, is determined not to let the pandemic ruin the event.
“I think all the athletes knew the risks leading into it,” she says. “It’s actually a really good atmosphere in the camp. We have meetings with not just doctors, but also mental health advisers as well.
“The pandemic is a risk to absolutely everyone, but we’ve got a great team around us.
“It means that athletes can literally just focus on our sport and do the best thing that we can, which for me is to swim.
“We’re here, we wear masks all the time, we social-distance, handgel wash our hands – all those things that we’ve been doing for the past year, so in a sense it’s natural to us. There is a really good vibe around the team.”