Ellie Challis

Ellie Challis was first inspired to swim by a dolphin and now she's heading to her second Paralympic Games at Paris 2024.

At just 16 months old, Challis, now 20, contracted meningitis and was given just a five percent chance of survival, spending 26 days in a coma and having all four limbs amputated.

Saved by doctors at Saint Mary Hospital in London, the youngster was inspired by the film 'Dolphin Tale', documenting the story of Winter, a dolphin whose tail was amputated after getting caught in a crab trap, and was struck by their similarities.

Already in swimming lessons, Challis was spurred on by the journey that Winter undertook as an amputee, immediately spurred on to the pool and improve her own swimming.

It's an inspirational story that has fired Challis to success all over the world, including a few journeys to meet Winter in person.

"Winter lost her tail and had to learn how to swim all over again," said Challis. "I saw the film and then I really wanted to get into swimming."

Father Paul adds: "This was a real inspiration to Ellie with her swimming and she has been to Florida five times to see Winter.

"Every time we go, we get real VIP treatment and Ellie goes on the platform to feed it." The platform for Challis’ success has been Colchester Phoenix Swimming Club and she broke onto the domestic swimming scene in 2017, obliterating the women's SB2 50m breaststroke British record that had stood since 1992.

Two years later she became world record holder in the event and at the very London Aquatics Centre she had watched the Paralympic Games in 2012, clinched her first-ever international medal by securing bronze in the S3 50m backstroke at the 2019 World Championships.

Her speedy rise to the top saw Challis chosen as the youngest member of the ParalympicsGB team for Tokyo 2020, aged just 17.

She stormed to silver in the women's S3 50m backstroke in a time of 55.11 seconds in what was an unexpected result, even by her own standards.

"Whatever happened, I was going to enjoy it," she said. "I didn’t really expect too much – I was mainly looking at Paris (2024) as I’ll be older and more experienced.

"This is just to gain experience, so to come away with a silver medal, I couldn’t believe it." Challis’ Tokyo silver medal is one of 110 won by British aquatics athletes since the advent of National Lottery funding in 1997.

Challis saw a further four events on her schedule in Tokyo, finishing an agonising fourth in the S3 100m freestyle and was nominated as BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year alongside Sky Brown and Jude Bellingham.

Since then she has gone from strength to strength, racking up a total of ten world championship medals in 2022 and 2023, including six in front of a home crowd at Manchester last summer.

"I didn't expect to win six medals and I shocked myself," said Challis. "I was just trying to go as quickly as I could.

"It was a long week but I am happy with how it went and it gave me good momentum going into Paris.”

Challis stormed to her first European title in April and has continued her dominant form in the run-up to her second Games at Paris 2024. Challis hopes that a familiar surrounding can spur her on to Paralympic gold in Paris, but even more than that, wants the British public to have the same chance as she did to connect with their sporting passion.

“Through swimming I have made a lot of friends throughout the country,” said Challis.

“I have met a lot of people that have meningitis the same as me at different events. To the people that struggle with motivation and to keep fit, you just have to find something you love which helps you to keep fit.

“With National Lottery funding, I don’t need to worry about financial pressures and I have everything I need to be the best swimmer I can be.

“The best thing about swimming is travelling around the country and making loads of new friends as I am a very sociable person. Also I love to make my family and friends proud of me.”

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