CiaO grant recipient, Jamie Stead and the GB wheelchair rugby team, made history in the summer of 2021, winning gold at the Tokyo Paralympics. Topping that, Jamie and the team have been added to the 2022 New Year’s Honours List, receiving MBEs.
The Paralympics in Tokyo saw Jamie and the twelve strong team take gold, settting a whole ranch of firsts for them and the sport:
1st ever medal for GB in Wheelchair rugby
1st even for a European nation
1st gold for GB in a team sport since the games began
And 1 million people tuned in to Channel 4 to see them beat the USA in the final
It was no wonder and well deserved that Jamie and the team featured in so many media outlets highlighting them and their winning story. In January 2022, it was announced that Jamie and the GB Wheelchair Rugby Team were on the New Year’s Honours List, very well deserved. The team, along with Head Coach, Paul Shaw, were awarded Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition for services to wheelchair rugby!
For CiaO, as a charity, we have watched Jamie’s story and wins develop ever since providing him with a CiaO Grant in conjunction with the Matt Hampson Foundation. The Grant included funding that assisted him in securing a new specialised rugby wheelchair, which in turn helped in training, competing, and thriving in the sport he loved. “For me, there is no better feeling than putting on that GB jersey and representing my country. Wheelchair rugby has made me the person I am today.”
Congratulations to Jamie, the team, and everyone at Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby on their well-deserved success!
Watch history being made in this YouTube video of the final
