Ellie is switched on to spotlight's power

'PARALYMPICS MUST NOT BE EXCEPTION ANYMORE'

- By Paul Eddison

SWIMMING star Ellie Simmonds has called for greater coverage of parasport outside of Paralympic years to develop the sport.

The 30-year-old was one of the faces of the London 2012 Paralympics, winning two golds, four years after she had done the same in Beijing aged 13.

Simmonds added a further Paralympic title at Rio 2016, before calling time on her swimming career after the delayed Tokyo Games four years ago.

She has since turned her hand to broadcasting, including working on last year’s Paralympics, as well as being involved with documentaries and last week presenting at Crufts for Channel 4. But while she has relished those opportunities, she believes that parasport needs to be part of the sporting landscape for more than just a couple of weeks every four years.