David Roberts CBE is one of the greatest male Paralympian the UK has ever produced. His gold medal tally equals that of Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson and Sarah Storey, a joint record for the most Paralympic titles ever won by a British athlete.
He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of eleven and was encouraged to participate in swimming activities as a form of physical therapy. He is now a professional disabled swimmer who represents Caerphilly County Swim Squad, Wales and Great Britain.
Dave first represented Wales aged 13 with his first major competition for Great Britain in the 1999 European Disabled swimming Championships in Germany where he won all four of his races. His International Paralympic Committee (IPC) swimming category is S7 SB7 SM7.
David took part in the 2000 Sydney Paralympics and became an instant hit, winning three golds, three silvers and one bronze medal. He competed at the 2004 Athens games, winning four gold medals in the 50m, 100m, 400m and the 4 x 100 metres relay, and went on to win a silver in the 200 metre individual medley.
Alltogether in his career, he won eleven paralympic gold medals, making him one of Great Britain’s most successful Paralympians of all time. His achievements put him in 32nd place on the all time list of Paralympic Gold Medalists.
Source: https://www.performingartistes.co.uk/artistes/david-robertscbe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Roberts_(swimmer)
Photo source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/wales/18855632
