ParalympicsGB chef de mission Penny Briscoe branded Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson’s struggles to reach Paris 2024 an “absolute disgrace” and feels the episode encapsulates the daily difficulties endured by disabled people.
Former wheelchair racer Grey-Thompson, an 11-time Paralympic champion, was forced to drag herself off a London North Eastern Railway (LNER) train service on Monday because no staff were there to help.
The 55-year-old was travelling from Leeds to London – en route to the French capital – and posted a series of messages about her experience on social media.
…@LNER who do I need to call to get off this train !!! It got to KGX 10 mins ago !!!!!
— Tanni Grey-Thompson (@Tanni_GT) August 26, 2024
Asked about the incident ahead of Wednesday evening’s Paralympics opening ceremony, Briscoe said: “Clearly, it’s an absolute disgrace.
“It’s the lived experience of disabled people, though, on a daily basis – it just doesn’t get reported.
“You should, as a disabled person, be able to get on and off a train and go about your daily living but the reality is far more difficult than that.”
Grey-Thompson, a crossbench peer, said she crawled off the train approximately 15 minutes after it arrived into King’s Cross station.
She later received an apology from LNER’s managing director David Horne.
“From our perspective, what we’re trying to do as ParalympicsGB is, through sport, inspire a better world for disabled people,” added Briscoe.
“It doesn’t matter if that’s education, if that’s in life, in society – we want change and our athletes want change.”
Great Britain finished second in the medal table at the delayed Tokyo Games three years ago amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Covid-19 remains an ongoing issue, with British swimmer Adam Peaty and American sprinter Noah Lyles among those to have tested positive during the recent Olympics.
At 22.17 (train got in at 22.02) I decided to crawl off. Had to move all my stuff onto the platform. Member of cleaning staff offered to help. They’re not insured.
— Tanni Grey-Thompson (@Tanni_GT) August 26, 2024
ParalympicsGB athletes may be permitted to compete in France, even if they are known to have contracted the disease.
“We know that Covid, like any respiratory illness, kind of goes in waves,” said Briscoe. “You get little peaks and then it subsides.
“I’m touching everything that we have no Covid in the camp. We do have protocols in place where if anyone presents with a respiratory illness, they’ll be checked out by our medical team, who are world class.
“If someone did have Covid, we’d ensure we get them well as soon as we possibly can.
“And then we do fit-for assessments: are they fit to compete? Yes or no? And that’s our process.
❤️ A young kid from Dormanstown to flag bearer at the biggest sporting event in the world ??Thank you so so much to everyone that made this happen. Never give up kids go get your dream ?#proud#Paris2024 #Paralympics2024 #UTB @ParalympicsGB@BritWheelBBall @Boro pic.twitter.com/fBTBH6OK55
— Terry Bywater (@TerryBywater07) August 27, 2024
“We will not be excluding anyone with a respiratory infection from competing at the Games if they’re fit enough to go out into the field of play.”
Britain have again been set a medal target of between 100 and 140 by UK Sport following 124 trips to the podium in Japan: 41 gold, 38 silver and 45 bronze.
China have dominated recent Games, topping the table at the last five.
While Briscoe stopped short of saying it was impossible for ParalympicsGB to snap that streak, she acknowledged it was implausible and that the team was realistically competing to be the best of the rest.
“When you have that talent pool to draw from, it becomes very, very difficult to compete. Their team here in Paris is huge and in athletics, in swimming they will absolutely dominate.
“We’re very proud of what we do as a small nation. I think we punch above our weight.”
