Graham Edmunds
Encyclopedia
Graham Edmunds is a British swimmer who has competed in two Paralympic Games
, winning two gold medals in world record times. He was a member of the Reading
Swimming Club where he was also a part time lifeguard and coached the Cygnets, Reading's club for swimmers with learning difficulties.
, but had to move to Swansea to make use of the High Performance Training Centre as Reading had no Olympic-size swimming pool.
events as well as the 4×100 m freestyle 34 pts relay team. In the individual 100 m he was knocked out in the heats but he made the final of the 50 m finishing in sixth. The relay team, which also featured David Roberts
, Robert Welbourn
and Matt Walker
, set a new world record time of 3 59.62 seconds to win the gold medal ahead of Australia on the day of Edmunds 30th birthday.
In 2008 Edmunds won a silver medal and set a new British record in the S10 50 m freestyle at the British Swimming Championships. He made his second Paralympic appearance for Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
, held in Beijing
, China. Edmunds raced in the same three events as in 2004 as well as the 4×100 m medley 34 pts relay team. he made the finals of both his individual events but failed to win a medal, finishing seventh in the 100 m and eighth in the 50 m. In the medley the Great Britain team made the final but finished fifth, 17 seconds behind the new world record time set by gold medallists Australia
. The freestyle relay quartet of Edmunds, Roberts, Walker and Welbourn successfully defended the title they had won in Athens setting a new world record of 3 minutes 51.43 seconds on route to winning gold.
At the 2009 European Paralympic Swimming Championships in Reykjavik
, Edmunds won an individual bronze medal in the men's S10 50 m freestyle and a gold medal in the 34 point 4x100 m freestyle competing with Walker, Welbourn and Jonathan Fox.
In 2010 Edmunds was appointed to UK Anti-Doping's newly formed Athlete's Committee along with fellow Paralympian Helene Raynsford
.
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
, winning two gold medals in world record times. He was a member of the Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
Swimming Club where he was also a part time lifeguard and coached the Cygnets, Reading's club for swimmers with learning difficulties.
Accident
In October 2000 Edmunds was knocked off his motorcycle whilst riding to work on the A4. His injuries were so severe that doctors considered amputating both of his legs and believed that he would never walk again. He spent three months with his legs in casts before beginning swimming again as part of his physiotherapy routine. Because he had limited movement in his ankle joints he qualified as a disabled swimmer in the S10 category. When Edmunds met the British Paralympic coach Billy Pye he decided to begin training for the 2004 Summer Paralympics2004 Summer Paralympics
The 2004 Summer Paralympics were held in Athens, Greece, from September 17 to September 28. The twelfth Paralympic Games, an estimated 4,000 athletes took part in the Athens programme, with ages ranging from 11 to 66. Paralympic events had already taken place during the 2004 Summer Olympics as...
, but had to move to Swansea to make use of the High Performance Training Centre as Reading had no Olympic-size swimming pool.
Paralympics
Edmunds made his first appearance at the Paralympics in 2004. He competed in two individual S10 classification freestyleFreestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
events as well as the 4×100 m freestyle 34 pts relay team. In the individual 100 m he was knocked out in the heats but he made the final of the 50 m finishing in sixth. The relay team, which also featured David Roberts
David Roberts (swimmer)
David Evan Roberts CBE , is a Welsh swimmer. An eleven-time Paralympic gold medallist, he is one of Great Britain's most successful Paralympians ever.-Swimming career:...
, Robert Welbourn
Robert Welbourn
Robert Welbourn is a British Paralympian swimmer. He was born in Chesterfield. He began his swimming career at Deeping Swimming Club in Deeping St. James....
and Matt Walker
Matt Walker (swimmer)
Matthew Benedict Walker MBE is a British swimmer who has participated in three Paralympic Games, winning eleven medals...
, set a new world record time of 3 59.62 seconds to win the gold medal ahead of Australia on the day of Edmunds 30th birthday.
In 2008 Edmunds won a silver medal and set a new British record in the S10 50 m freestyle at the British Swimming Championships. He made his second Paralympic appearance for Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
Great Britain competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. Great Britain sent a delegation of around 400, of which 212 were athletes, to compete in eighteen sports at the Games...
, held in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China. Edmunds raced in the same three events as in 2004 as well as the 4×100 m medley 34 pts relay team. he made the finals of both his individual events but failed to win a medal, finishing seventh in the 100 m and eighth in the 50 m. In the medley the Great Britain team made the final but finished fifth, 17 seconds behind the new world record time set by gold medallists Australia
Australia at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
Australia sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. The country sent 121 officials and 170 athletes in 13 sports to Beijing. It was the country's largest ever Paralympic delegation...
. The freestyle relay quartet of Edmunds, Roberts, Walker and Welbourn successfully defended the title they had won in Athens setting a new world record of 3 minutes 51.43 seconds on route to winning gold.
At the 2009 European Paralympic Swimming Championships in Reykjavik
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, Edmunds won an individual bronze medal in the men's S10 50 m freestyle and a gold medal in the 34 point 4x100 m freestyle competing with Walker, Welbourn and Jonathan Fox.
In 2010 Edmunds was appointed to UK Anti-Doping's newly formed Athlete's Committee along with fellow Paralympian Helene Raynsford
Helene Raynsford
Helene Raynsford is a British rower who competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics.She trained at the Royal Ballet School before an injury ended her chances of becoming a professional dancer. At university Raynsford studied biochemistry but a head injury at the age of 21 left her needing the use of a...
.
External links
- Graham Edmunds, Swimming.org