Sharron Davies

About

Sharron was a world-class swimmer and one of England’s greatest athletes. She won a silver medal in the 400 metre individual medley at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, and two gold medals at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton. Since retiring from the sport, she has worked as television presenter and served as a patron of charities for disabled children and fitness.

Sharron Davies (Sharron Elizabeth Davies MBE) learned to swim at the age of six and was training seriously two years later. She set a record by swimming for the British national team at the age of only eleven. In 1976, still only thirteen, Davies was selected to represent Great Britain at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.

The next year she stepped up a gear to win two bronze medals in the 1977 European Championships. The following year, still just fifteen, she won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in the 200 and 400 metre individual medleys. She also picked up a further silver and bronze medal.

At the age of eighteen, Davies called time on the first stage of her swimming career in order to build her television profile and a career in modelling. In 1989, and training at Bracknell & Wokingham Swimming Club, she returned to the pool where she picked up two more medals at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

In 1993, Davies was awarded the MBE for her services to swimming.

In 2006, Davies supported the British Olympic bid by profile raising and appearing as spokesperson on BBC’s Question Time where she made a strong case for bringing the games to London.

Sharron has also featured in the BBC’s 1981 series “Sporting Superstars”. She later joined the team of former British sports stars in presenting and commentating on sport coverage for the BBC. Initially this covered swimming but was extended to other sports for the Atlanta and Sydney Olympics.

Davies is a current patron of the Disabled Sport England and the Sports Aid Foundation. She is also the face of the Swim for Life charity event.

She has also published a number of health and fitness videos and co-authored books on the same topic. In 1995 she joined ITV’s Gladiators being given the nickname Amazon.

She provided commentary for the BBC at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and was a presenter at London’s Olympics Handover Party in the Mall.

In January 2010 Davies took part in the ITV series Dancing on Ice, partnered by regular participant Pavel Albrecht.

She continues to appear regularly as one of the BBC’s main swimming commentators and her powerful motivational speeches are in demand at company seminars nationwide.