Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is the charity’s new President

Sports Leaders UK is delighted to announce that Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is the charity's new President.

Tanni - who won no less than 11 Gold Medals during her distinguished Paralympic Career - has worked closely with Sports Leaders UK in recent years and is ideally placed to take up the Presidency.

"Having worked with Sports Leaders UK for a number of years, I have seen what it can do at grass roots level," she said. "It is a realistic, hands-on way of working with young people from every walk of life - and teaching them about a sports-led, active and healthy lifestyle."

Linda Plowright, Chief Executive of Sports Leaders UK, said Baroness Tanni was the ideal candidate to take up the reins.

"Tanni Grey-Thompson has been an inspiration to millions," said Linda. "And since retiring from international competition, she has become a respected voice across sport, with contacts at the highest level.

"Add to this her understanding of what Sports Leaders UK stands for and it becomes plain that she's our perfect President. We're excited about what the future holds."

Carys 'Tanni' Grey-Thompson was born in Cardiff and very soon received her lifelong nickname from her little sister Sian, who called her 'Tiny'. Facing having to use a wheelchair from the age of seven, she tried her first race aged 13 and was soon beating all comers. An incredible sporting career followed, which saw Tanni break 30 World Paralympic records, win 11 Paralympic Golds, win the Women's London Wheelchair Marathon no less than six times and become successively a Member of the British Empire (MBE), Order of the British Empire (OBE) and Dame of the British Empire (DBE) amongst many other achievements.

She currently sits as a cross-bench (non party-political) peer in the House of Lords and is also an Ambassador for the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) of 2012.