The Friends Life Women’s Tour is absolutely delighted to announce that Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE will be the official starter of the race at the Grand Depart in Oundle, Northamptonshire on Wednesday 7th May.

Tanni is considered to be one of the most successful disabled athletes the UK has ever produced.  She represented Great Britain at five Paralympic Games between Seoul in 1988 and Athens in 2004 where she won at total of eleven Gold, five Silver  and one  Bronze medals in total.  Since her retirement from elite sport Tanni has, as well as developing her television presenting career,  been actively involved in many areas of public life including being the current Chair of the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation Commission on the future of Women’s Sport. 
 
Guy Elliott of organisers SweetSpot commented “We are delighted that Tanni will be the official starter for the inaugural Friends Life Women’s Tour.  Both during her athletic career and since her retirement from elite sport,  she has acted as a figurehead and  inspiration for many athletes of both sexes and for many young people.  Her endorsement of the importance of this event to women’s sport is very much valued by us all  and we look forward to seeing Tanni in Oundle on 7th May”.