Who is Dame Sarah Storey? Paralympian athlete on Strictly

She will appear on the popular BBC dancing show alongside 14 other celebrities, all hoping to impress the viewers and judges Shirley Ballas, Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke.

The full line-up for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 features:

• Dame Sarah Storey (Britain’s most successful Paralympian)
• Lacey Turner (EastEnders’ Stacey Slater)
• Dani Dyer (TV personality – returning after injury in 2025)
• Delta Goodrem (Australian singer)
• Chris Appleton (Hair stylist)
• Cach Mercer (Reality TV star)
• Will Best (TV and radio host)
• Dame Sarah Storey (Britain’s most successful Paralympian)
• Jaime Winstone (actress)
• Bethany Antonia (actress)
• Shaun Wright-Phillips (former professional footballer)
• Graeme Hall (famous dog trainer)
• Lawrence Robb (Emmerdale’s Mackenzie Boyd)
• Tabby Stoecker (Team GB skeleton athlete)
• John Nellis (football content creator)
• Melanie Walters (Gavin and Stacey star)

What disability does Dame Sarah Storey have?

Dame Sarah was born without a functioning left hand.

But she hasn’t let that stop her, going on to become Britain’s most successful Paralympian, competing in swimming and cycling over a career spanning more than three decades.

How many medals has Dame Sarah Storey won?

Dame Sarah made her Paralympic debut aged 14 at the 1992 Games in Barcelona as a swimmer.

In her debut Games, she won two gold, three silver and a bronze medal.

She continued competing in the pool at three further Paralympic Games before changing to cycling in 2005.

Dame Sarah Storey has never lost in cycling at the Paralympics.

Just let that sink in.

🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇#Paris2024 #Paralympics #IAmLimitless pic.twitter.com/5PlJoZf3Lh

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— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) September 6, 2024

Dame Sarah has also competed in, and won, able-bodied cycling races.

She took part in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games on the track and was part of the Great Britain Team Pursuit team before the London 2012 Games.

Dame Sarah has competed at nine Paralympic Games and has won 30 medals.

Her total includes 19 gold medals, making her the most successful ParalympicsGB athlete.

Dame Sarah Storey’s Paralympics medal tally

Paris 2024 Paralympic Games

• C4-C5 Road Race: Gold
• C5 Road Time Trial: Gold

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

• C5 Individual Pursuit: Gold
• C4-C5 Road Race: Gold
• C5 Road Time Trial: Gold

Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

• C5 Individual Pursuit: Gold
• C4-C5Time Trial: Gold
• C5 Road Race: Gold

London 2012 Paralympic Games

• C5 Individual Pursuit: Gold
• C4-5 500m Time Trial: Gold
• C4-5 Road Race: Gold
• C5 Individual Time Trial (road): Gold

Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games

• LC1-2/CP4 individual pursuit: Gold
• LC1/LC2/CP4 time trial: Gold

Athens 2004 Paralympic Games (Swimming)

• 100m freestyle S10: Bronze
• 100m breaststroke SB9: Silver
• 200m individual medley SM10: Silver

Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games (Swimming)

• 100m backstroke S10: Silver
• 4x100m medley relay SM10: Silver

Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games (Swimming)

• 200m individual medley SM10: Gold
• 100m breaststroke SB10: Gold
• 100m backstroke S10: Gold
• 400m freestyle S10: Silver
• 100m freestyle S10: Bronze

Barcelona 1992 Paralympic Games (Swimming)

• 100m backstroke S10: Gold
• 200m individual medley SM10: Gold
• 400m freestyle S10: Silver
• 4x100m freestyle relay S7-10: Silver
• 100m freestyle S10: Bronze
• 4x100m medley relay S7-10: Silver

Dame Sarah Storey has won a total of 30 Paralympic Game medals. (Image: PA)

World Championships medal tally

Dame Sarah has also won medals at World Championship events for both cycling and swimming throughout her career:

2018 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, Maniago (Italy)

• Time trial: Gold
• Road Race: Gold

2016 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, Montichiari, Italy

• Individual Pursuit: Gold
• 500m time trial: Silver
• Scratch race: Silver

2015 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, Apeldoorn, Netherlands

• 500m time trial: Gold
• Individual Pursuit: Gold

2015 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, Nottwil, Switzerland

• Time trial: Gold
• Road Race: Gold

2014 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, Greenville, USA

• Time trial: Gold
• Road race: Gold

2014 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, Aguascalientes, Mexico

• Individual pursuit: Gold
• Scratch race: Gold
• 500m Time Trial: Bronze

2012 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, Los Angeles, USA

• 500m Time trial: Gold
• Individual pursuit: Gold
• Team Sprint: Silver

2011 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, Roskilde, Denmark

• Time Trial: Gold
• Road Race: Gold

2011 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, Montichiari, Italy

• Individual Pursuit: Gold
• 500m Time Trial: Gold

2010 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, Baie-Comeau, Canada

• Road race: Gold
• Time trial: Gold

2009 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, Manchester, UK

• Individual Pursuit: Gold
• Time Trial: Gold

2009 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, Bogogno, Italy

• Road Race: Gold
• Time trial: Gold

2007 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, Bordeaux, France

• Individual Pursuit: Gold
• 500m Time Trial: Bronze

2006 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, Aigle, Switzerland

• Road Race: Silver
• Time Trial: Silver

2005 Para-cycling European Championships, Alkmaar, Denmark

• Individual Pursuit: Gold
• 500m Time Trial: Gold
• Road Race: Gold
• Time Trial: Silver

2002 IPC World Swimming Championships, Mar del Plata, Argentina

• S10 50m Freestyle: Bronze
• S10 400m Freestyle: Gold
• SM10 Individual Medley: Gold
• S10 100m Freestyle: Gold

1998 IPC World Swimming Championships, Christchurch, New Zealand

• 4x100m Freestyle: Bronze
• S10 400m Freestyle: Bronze
• SM10 200m Individual Medley: Bronze
• 4x100m Medley: Silver
• S10 100m Backstroke: Silver

1994 IPC World Swimming Championships, Malta

• S10 400m Freestyle relay: Gold
• SM10 200m Individual medley: Silver
• S10 100m Backstroke: Silver
• 4x100m Freestyle relay: Gold

Dame Sarah Storey’s home and family

Dame Sarah lives in Disley, Cheshire, with her husband, Barney, and their two children, Louisa and Charlie.

Disley is a village on the edge of the Peak District in the Goyt Valley. It had a population of around 4,000 people in the 2011 census.

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