F E AT U R E
“You can let life
happen to you
or you can try
to influence it”
– TANNI GREY-THOMPSON
18 miles!” she smiles. “We moved from Redcar
to Eaglescliffe but that’s pretty much as far as I
would go. London is an amazing city but Teesside
is where we want to be as a family. What I used
to get a lot was ‘Oh, what do you want to live up
North for?’ But it’s a beautiful part of the country.
It’s 20 minutes to the beach and half an hour to the
moors. I can’t imagine being anywhere else right
now.”
The demands of her role in the Lords mean
Tanni spends four days a week in the capital,
usually catching the train to Kings Cross on a
Monday morning after seeing her teenage daughter
Carys – a talented kayaker – off to school, and
returning by early evenings on a Thursday.
“I work really long hours in London, which is
fine because I’m a bit of a workaholic and I love
what I do,” she says. “I have very little social life
when I’m there because if I’ve got time for that
then I think I should be at home with my family.
“Sometimes from the outside the House of
Lords doesn’t look very dynamic – and a lot of
time it’s not – but there can be moments where it’s
incredibly exciting, for instance when there’s a vote
happening or legislation changing. Our job is just
to say to the government of the day ‘Are you really
sure that’s what you want to do or do you want
to have another think about it?’ It’s a check and
balance.
“The decisions we take affect tens of thousands
of people’s lives, for good or bad. I’ve had people
write to me to say what we’ve done is amazing and
others tell you that you’re the biggest idiot ever.”
Whatever your opinion on her, it’s clear that
Tanni continues to enjoy an extraordinary life,
though she shrugs off such remarks in typically
unassuming fashion.
“It’s been pretty cool, yeah,” she agrees with
a smile. “Life’s what you make of it. I’ve been
privileged in terms of my education, sport and my
massively supportive parents. I don’t think it’s true
to say anyone can do it but you can let life happen
to you or you can try and influence it.”
Tanni Grey-
Thompson Q&A
Favourite Tees restaurant? The Waiting Room in Eaglescliffe.
We’re not vegetarians but sometimes we just go there to have
something with custard!
What’s your favourite tipple? I drink buckets of coffee, I don’t
drink alcohol really because I get drunk very, very easily and
become extremely rude.
If a visitor had only one day on Teesside, where would you
recommend they visit? I’d probably take them in a boat along
the river, from Yarm to Eaglescliffe and then Stockton and
Middlesbrough.
What’s been your career highlight? In sport, winning 100m – my
weakest event - in the Athens Paralympics, having completely
screwed up in the 800m, my best event, three days before.
Have you ever been mistaken for someone else famous? No
but I’ve had friends mistaken for me - just because we’re in
wheelchairs doesn’t mean we’re the same!
If you hadn’t been a Paralympian, what would you have done?
A lawyer. That’s what I always wanted to do but sport got in the
way.
What scares you? Spiders. Mice used to but in Westminster you
get used to them as you always see them scurrying around.
Favourite music? 1980s stuff like Duran Duran, Soft Cell, Alison
Moyet and Eurythmics. It all went downhill about 1989.
Favourite TV? Big Bang Theory – it’s smart, clever and funny.
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