Baroness Sharron Davies
Olympic swimmer, presenter and author

Sharron Davies has been one of the UK’s best known and most popular sportswomen since bursting onto the scene as a 13-year-old Olympian in 1976. Nearly 50 years later, she is still a popular, in demand and much-admired character.

Having first swum for Britain at the extraordinary age of 11, she was selected for the 1976 Montreal Olympics and instantly became a household name. At only 14 she confirmed her talents by winning two European Bronze medals – only losing out to the then all-conquering East Germans. But it was in 1978 that 15-year-old Sharron stormed to the first of her many successes, winning Commonwealth gold medals in both 200 and 400m Individual Medley events.

In 1980, she took a battling silver medal at the Moscow Olympics finishing just behind Petra Schneider of East Germany. Ms Schneider has since admitted that her performance was heavily drug enhanced. An emotional reunion between Sharron and Petra was the subject of a captivating Channel 4 documentary.

As is often the case with prodigies whose success and stardom arrives so early, Sharron decided she needed a break from training and competition and ‘retired’ at the age of 18 to pursue a media career. Sharron’s incredible international career spanned three decades, included numerous major titles and medals, 200 British records, some of which stood for some 28 years.

Retiring from competition in 1994, after 20 years in top-level sport, Sharron has become a regular on television and in the press. Sharron has now attended every summer Olympic Games since 1976 as either broadcaster or competitor.

In 2026, she joined the House of Lords as a Conservative peer.

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