Paralympic cyclist Sarah Storey, who won four gold medals at the London 2012 Games, has been made a dame in the New Year Honours list.
The Gold post box (left) painted in Sarah’s honour
The 35-year-old from Disley in Cheshire, near Stockport
said the honour was “beyond anything I could have ever
imagined”.
Bolton’s double Olympic gold winner Jason Kenny has been
appointed OBE.
Other local recipients include Holocaust survivor Mayer Hersh,
appointed OBE, and Christie Hospital’s Caroline Shaw, who has been
made a CBE.
Storey, who won four Paralympic cycling titles in London to add to the two she won at the 2008 Beijing Games, has received the honour for her services to para-cycling.
She also holds five Paralympic swimming titles, which she won before swapping the pool for the cycling track following a series of ear infections.
She said to compete for her country was a “huge honour in itself” and she “never expected any additional awards after my sporting success”.
“I cannot thank my family, friends, coaches and support staff enough for their devotion in helping me to follow the path of becoming the best athlete I can possibly be.
“I am speechless but incredibly honoured and extremely proud to be able to accept the DBE.”
Alongside Storey and Kenny, several other cyclists and para-cyclists based at Manchester’s Velodrome have also been honoured.
They include TeamGB’s cycling coach, David Brailsford, who has been knighted, Olympic Keirin gold medallist Victoria Pendleton, who has been appointed CBE, and Paralympic cyclist Neil Fachie, who rides with Storey’s husband Barney as a pilot, who has been appointed MBE.