Chris Holmes (swimmer)

The Lord Holmes of Richmond
MBE

Chris Holmes in 2012
Personal information
Birth name	Christopher Holmes
National team	Great Britain
Born	(1971-10-15) 15 October 1971 (age 45) Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Classifications	B2 / S12

Christopher Holmes, Baron Holmes of Richmond, MBE (born 15 October 1971) is a British former swimmer and life peer in the House of Lords. He won a total of nine gold, five silver, and one bronze medal at the Paralympic Games. Holmes represented Great Britain at four Paralympic Games between 1988 and 2000 and is the only British Paralympic swimmer to win six gold medals at a single Games. After retiring from swimming he worked as a journalist and solicitor. He was Director of Paralympic Integration for the London Olympics and it was announced that he would be elevated to the House of Lords in August 2013, as a Conservative Party Peer.

Holmes was born in Peterborough on 15 October 1971. His family moved to Kidderminster when he was three. He was educated at Harry Cheshire Comprehensive School, Kidderminster. He then studied Social and Political Sciences at King's College, Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree; in 1998, as per tradition, his BA was promoted to a Master of Arts (Oxbridge and Dublin) (MA (Cantab)) degree. In 2001, he gained a post graduate diploma in law (PGDL) at BPP Law School and in 2002 he completed the Legal Practice Course.

Holmes was already a good swimmer with the goal of representing his country, when he became blind as a teenager due to Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy, a genetic eye disorder. He joined a Birmingham club where he committed to the same training regime as other sighted swimmers aspiring to the Olympics.

Holmes was a member of the Great Britain swimming team from 1985-2002 and Captain for 5 years. He qualified for the Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games, where he won two silver medals and a bronze. At the Barcelona 1992 Paralympics, four years later, he gathered a record six gold medals, and a silver. He went on to take another three gold medals and a silver at Atlanta in 1996 and finally one more silver at Sydney in 2000. He is often described as "one of Britain's greatest Paralympians". He also became a Paralympic activist, in particular drawing attention to the issues of equal accommodations and facilities for Paralympic athletes. In addition to the Games Chris swam at 2 World Championships and 7 European Championships, held 7 world records, 10 European records and 12 GB records.