Daniel Pepper

"I'm delighted to be a My Sport, My Voice! Ambassador because I want to try and give something back. I want to show that people with learning disability can overcome a lot of obstacles and do a great job."

Sport: Swimming

Represents: Retired ParalympicsGB swimmer

Date of Birth: 02 Mar 1989

Based: Stockport, Greater Manchester

Personal Best: IPC Double World Champion 2010

Biography:
Dan is one of the world’s best S14 swimmers, having won multiple gold medals at World and European level.

He announced his arrival on the scene by winning 100m Breaststroke gold at the 2004 British Championships and was selected to represent Great Britain at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games.

However, due to all athletes with intellectual disability being banned from competing at the 2004 and Beijing 2008 Games, Dan was denied the opportunity to shine on the biggest stage during the peak of his career.

Dan says having to send his Great Britain kit back a week before Athens 2004 when the ban came into place ‘destroyed’ him. Despite the heart-breaking ban, Pepper says he’s friends, family and coaches kept him motivated and he continued to swim for himself.

When the ban was finally overturned in 2009, Dan demonstrated he was still one of the best in the business by becoming a double World Champion at the Eindhoven 2010 IPC Championships. He stormed to victory in the S14 category 200m Freestyle and 100m Breaststroke.

He finally made his long overdue Paralympic Games debut at London 2012, reaching two finals, but by then he was coming into the twilight years of his career and could not achieve the elusive medal his career deserved.

Dan is now putting his experiences to good use by working a swimming coach, personal trainer and motivational speaker.

Dan is speaking at our Engage! Learning Disability Awareness Workshop at the Nation Swimming Pool, Swansea on Monday 22nd February. Check the homepage for further details.