Fran Williamson

Fran Williamson

Personal information
Full name	Frances Williamson
Nationality	British
Born	(1985-06-15) 15 June 1985 (age 31) Sunderland, England
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	freestyle, backstroke
Club	Colchester Phoenix
Medal record Representing  Great Britain Women's swimming Paralympic Games 2004 Athens 4x50m freestyle relay 20pts 2004 Athens 50m freestyle S3 2004 Athens 50m backstroke S3 2008 Beijing 50m backstroke S3 2004 Athens 100m freestyle S3 2008 Beijing 50m freestyle S3 IPC World Championships 2002 Mar del Plata 4x50m freestyle relay 20pts 2006 Durban 4x50m freestyle relay 20pts 2006 Durban 4x50m medley relay 20pts 2006 Durban 50m backstroke S3 2010 Eindhoven 50m backstroke S3 2002 Mar del Plata 50m freestyle S3 2002 Mar del Plata 50m backstroke S3 2006 Durban 50m freestyle S3 2006 Durban 200m freestyle S3 2010 Eindhoven 50m freestyle S3 2002 Mar del Plata 100m freestyle S3 2002 Mar del Plata 200m freestyle S3 2010 Eindhoven 4x50m medley relay 20pts

Frances Williamson (born 15 June 1985) is a retired British Paralympic swimmer. Williamson competed in the S3 classification mainly in the freestyle and backstroke preferring shorter distances. She participated in two Summer Paralympic Games winning six medals. At the 2006 IPC World Championships she won three gold medals including the 50m backstroke S3, which she successfully defended four years later at Eindhoven.

Williamson was born in 1985 in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. She was born with athetoid cerebral palsy, which affects her movement, motor skills and speech. In 1988 her family moved to Malawi, returning after five years, Williamson eventually settling in Cambridge. She matriculated to Anglia Ruskin University where she was awarded a First Class degree in Social Policy. She later returned to education to complete a master's degree in Disability Studies at Leeds University.

Williamson was introduced to swimming as a child and began competing while at secondary school, having been terrified of water during her primary years. She was classified as a S3 classification swimmer and her first competitive meet as part of the Great Britain team was in 2001 at the European Championships in Stockholm. In 2002 Williamson travelled to Mar del Plata in Argentina to represent Great Britain at her first IPC Swimming World Championships. She took part in five events, winning a medal in each including a gold as part of the 4x50m Freestyle Relay (20 Points). In her individual events she won two silvers and two bronze.

Williamson qualified for the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens and was entered into the 50m Freestyle S3, 100m Freestyle S3, 50m Backstroke S3 and the 4x50m freestyle relay (20 Points). In the 4x50m freestyle relay, Williamson was joined by team mates Jeanette Chippington, Mhairi Love and Jane Stidever. They finished well behind the winning Japanese team but edged out the American team by a twentieth of a second to claim silver. Williamson also won silver in the 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke, and a third place bronze medal in the 100m freestyle.

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