PARALYMPIC swimmer Ellie Simmonds has revealed that she was adopted as a baby.
The gold-medallist – who grew to prominence after her win at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing – has opened up about her adoption journey in a new ITV documentary.
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Who is Ellie Simmonds’ mother?
Ellie was born on November 11, 1994, and adopted by Val and Steve Simmonds when she was three months old.
Born in May 1953, Ellie’s mother, Val, has been the director of Ellie Simmonds Ltd since 2010.
When Ellie was 11, Val moved with her daughter to Swansea so that she could train in a 50-metre pool, leaving the rest of the family behind in Walsall.
Discussing her daughter’s triumphant win at the London 2012 Olympics after she broke the World Record, she said, “You want to give your children the best possible opportunity.
“It certainly rewards that. I was shaking all the way through the race.
“It was only in the last 20 metres we were confident she would win.”
Who is her father?
Ellie’s father Steve was born in November 1950 and served as director for Ellie Simmonds Ltd from December 2010 to March 2013.
Steve was also present for her Olympic glory with the proud parents wearing T-shirts featuring Ellie’s face as they cheered her on.
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Speaking to Business Live, Steve said his daughter’s performance “was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen her do”.
Both Val and Steve have worked strongly in the dwarfism community ensuring Ellie attended a summer camp run by Arthur and Penny Dean who are founders of the Dwarf Sports Association charity.
When did she first meet her birth mother?
Ellie has not previously discussed her adoption before but in 2023 revealed she had been on a search for her biological family with the help of a specialist social worker.
She is now reunited with her birth mother and her story will feature in ITV documentary, Ellie Simmonds: Finding My Secret Family, which airs on July 6, 2023.
Despite being told that her real mother had wished Ellie had died at birth due to her achondroplasia (dwarfism) condition, this did not deter her from finding out who she is.
Ellie further revealed the two had an impassioned first meeting lasting five hours.
They are hoping to look to the future in the hopes of rebuilding their relationship after all this time.
Does she have any siblings?
Ellie has four siblings: Georgina, Katie, Steven and Pauline.
Katie is five years older than Ellie and also has achondroplasia.
Ellie has not revealed if her siblings were also adopted.
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