On November 11, 1994, Eleanor “Ellie” Simmonds was born in Aldridge, England. When Ellie was 10 years old, a British program for outstanding swimmers discovered her talent and welcomed her. Ellie started swimming when she was five years old. When Ellie, then 13 years old, competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, she was the youngest competitor from the United Kingdom.
There, in the 100- and 400-meter freestyle events, she took home two gold medals. Ellie quickly became very well-liked in Britain, where she earned the nickname “the golden girl of the pool.” Ellie earned a further gold medal on September 1st in the 400m freestyle event at the London 2012 Summer Paralympics.
What disability does Ellie Simmonds have?
Ellie was born with achondroplasia dwarfism, a disorder characterized by short limbs as a result of improper fetal development of the bones. She started swimming at age five, and at age eight, she started competing against children who had typical physical development.
