- Nyree Lewis
-
Nyree Lewis Personal information Full name Nyree Lewis Nationality Welsh Born 21 September 1980
Rhondda, WalesHeight 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) Sport Sport Swimming Club Leominster Kingfisher[1] Medal recordCompetitor for 
Great BritainWomen's swimming Paralympic Games Gold 2004 Athens 100 m backstroke S6 Gold 2004 Athens 4×50 m medley 20 pts Silver 2000 Sydney 100 m backstroke S6 Silver 2004 Athens 100 m breaststroke SB5 Silver 2004 Athens 200 m ind. medley SM6 Silver 2008 Beijing 100 m backstroke S6 Bronze 2000 Sydney 100 m breaststroke SB5 Bronze 2000 Sydney 400 m freestyle S6 Bronze 2000 Sydney 4×50 m medley 20 pts Nyree Elise Lewis MBE (born 21 September 1980 in Rhondda, Wales)[2] is a Welsh swimmer who has competed in the Paralympic Games on three occasions winning nine medals.
Contents
Early life
Lewis took up swimming at the age of 5, having been taken to a swimming pool by her aunt.[3] Lewis has a form of cerebral palsy and therefore competes in the S6 (butterfly, backstroke, freestyle), SM6 (medley)and SB5 (breaststroke) classifications.[4][5]
Paralympic career
Lewis's first appearance at a Paralympics came at the 2000 Games in Sydney, where she won 3 medals, 2 silver and a bronze.[6]
At the 2004 Summer Paralympics Lewis won her first Paralympic gold medal in the S6 100 metres backstroke event,[7] in a new Paralympic record time of 1:32.03.[8] She followed this up with another gold in the 4×50 m medley 20 pts relay, silver medals in both the 100 m breaststroke SB5[9] and 200 m SM6 individual medley, and a bronze in the 400 m freestyle S6.[6]
In the 100 metres S6 backstroke at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing Lewis was, surprisingly, beaten into second place by Dutch swimmer Mirjam de Koning-Peper. Lewis explained her defeat by saying ""My legs were spasming, but to be honest, there are no excuses for that, ... I should have gone quicker but it just wasn't there tonight".[10] In addition to this medal winning performance Lewis also reached the finals of the 100 m breaststroke SB5 (finishing 4th), 200 m SM6 individual medley (finishing 6th) and 400 m freestyle S6 (finishing 6th).
On top of her success at the Paralympics, Lewis has won 7 IPC World Championship medals and 7 European Championship medals.[1]
Lewis was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.[11]
Personal life
Lewis's boyfriend is fellow British Paralympic gold medal winning swimmer Sascha Kindred. Together the pair are known as the "golden couple" of British disability swimming.[12][13]
See also
- List of Paralympic records in swimming
- Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
- Swimming at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
- Swimming at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
- Swimming at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
Notes
- ^ a b "British Swimming and the asa: Nyree Lewis". British Swimming. http://www.britishswimming.org/vsite/vcontent/page/custom/0,8510,5157-182882-200100-42946-270193-custom-item,00.html. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
- ^ "Athlete Biography". The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRMP/ENG/BIO/Athlete/2/1210312.shtml. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ "Nyree Lewis Interview". Parasport.org.uk. http://www.parasport.org.uk/page.asp?section=000100010005001500030004. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ "Athlete Biography". Sports Council of Wales website. http://beijing2008.community.sequence.co.uk/1176. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ "A-Z of Paralympic classification". BBC Sport. 2008-08-28. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/7586684.stm. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ a b Nyree Lewis's profile on paralympic.org
- ^ "Lewis sparks double celebration". BBC Sport. 2004-09-21. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/3678556.stm. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ "Lewis delight at first gold". BBC Sport. 2004-09-21. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/3677624.stm. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ "Lewis claims third medal". BBC Sport. 2004-09-24. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/3688152.stm. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ "Kindred claims fifth gold in pool". BBC Sport. 2008-09-07. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/7602935.stm. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 59090. p. 19. 13 June 2009.
- ^ "Paralympic challengers: Sascha Kindred and Nyree Lewis". BBC Sport. 2008-09-02. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/7589623.stm. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ "Kindred joining Lewis in glory bid". Worcester News. http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/sport/3650707.Kindred_joining_Lewis_in_glory_bid/. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
External links
- 'The Golden Couple' - A blog written by Sascha Kindred's brother detailing the progress of him and Lewis
- British Swimming athlete profile
Categories:- Living people
- 1980 births
- Welsh swimmers
- Paralympic swimmers of Great Britain
- Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
- Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
- Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
- Paralympic gold medalists for Great Britain
- Paralympic silver medalists for Great Britain
- Paralympic bronze medalists for Great Britain
- World record holders in paralympic swimming
- Members of the Order of the British Empire
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
