Imagen
4847-David Roberts photo

David Roberts

Swimming
19
7
4

Biography

Impairment information

Type of Impairment
Cerebral Palsy
Classification
S7, SB7, SM7

Further personal information

Family
Girlfriend Agata Jankowska
Residence
Caerphilly, WAL
Occupation
Athlete, Coach

Sport specific information

When and where did you begin this sport?
He began swimming at age 11 in Cardiff, Wales, after being diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
Why this sport?
He was told it was the best physiotherapy for cerebral palsy.
Club / Team
Caerphilly: Swansea, WAL
Name of coach
Peter Key
Training Regime
He spends 16 hours a week in the pool and four hours a week in the gym.

General interest

Hobbies
Watching rugby union and socialising. (paralympics.org.uk, 29 Jan 2010)
Memorable sporting achievement
Breaking the 100m freestyle world record at the 2008 Paralympic Trials. (British Swimming, 19 Aug 2010)
Most influential person in career
His father. (swimming.org, 19 Aug 2010)
Hero / Idol
Welsh rugby union player J.P.R. Williams. (paralympics.org.uk, 29 Jan 2010)
Injuries
In April 2011 he collided with another swimmer during training and suffered a fractured elbow. (The Telegraph, 30 Aug 2011)

In March 2010 he spent a week in the hospital having kidney stones removed. (The Telegraph, 30 Aug 2011)

In October 2009 he fractured his elbow when he was walking his dog. His lurcher-collie dragged him into a tree. (The Telegraph, 30 Aug 2011)
Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs
He always sets his goggles on the starting blocks while he takes off his tracksuit and gets in position to start a race. (The Telegraph, 30 Aug 2011)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"Enjoy the ride." (swimming.org, 19 Aug 2010)
Awards and honours
In 2009 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire [CBE], after having been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire [MBE] in 2005. (paralympics.org.uk, 29 Jan 2010; bbc.co.uk, 2 Sep 2008)

He was selected to carry the flag for Great Britain at the Closing Ceremony of the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. (bbc.co.uk, 11 Nov 2008)

His four gold medals at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing gave him a total of 11 Paralympic golds, equalling Tanni Grey-Thompson's record for the most Paralympic gold medals won by a British athlete. (bbc.co.uk, 11 Nov 2009)
Impairment
He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of 11. (The Telegraph, 30 Aug 2011)
Other information
COMMUNITY WORK
He has a close involvement with Anti-Bullying Week, and admits that he himself was bullied as a child on account of his disability and the way it caused him to walk. He also runs a disabled swimming club and visits schools to promote disabled sports. (bbc.co.uk, 11 Nov 2008)

Results

Unit Date Rank
IPC Swimming World Championships Eindhoven 2010 (Eindhoven, Netherlands)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 50 m Freestyle S7 Final Round 3
Men's 50 m Freestyle S7 Heat 2 1
Men's 4x100 m Freestyle 34pts Final Round 3
Men's 4x100 m Freestyle 34pts Heat 2 1
Men's 400 m Freestyle S7 Final Round 2
Men's 100 m Freestyle S7 Final Round 1
Men's 100 m Freestyle S7 Heat 3 1
IPC Swimming World Championships Durban 2006 (Durban, South Africa)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM7 Heats 3
Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM7 Final Round 3
Men's 400 m Freestyle S7 Heats 2
Men's 400 m Freestyle S7 Final Round 1
Men's 4x100 m Freestyle 34 pts Final Round 1
Men's 4x100 m Medley 34 pts Heats 2
Men's 4x100 m Medley 34 pts Final Round 2
Men's 50 m Butterfly S7 Heats 6
Men's 50 m Butterfly S7 Final Round 7
Men's 50 m Freestyle S7 Heats 1
Men's 50 m Freestyle S7 Final Round 1
Men's 100 m Freestyle S7 Final Round 1
Men's 100 m Freestyle S7 Heats 1
Athens 2004 Paralympic Games (Athens, Greece)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 4x100 m Medley 34 pts Final Round 4
Men's 4x100 m Medley 34 pts Heat 2 2
Men's 4x100 m Freestyle 34 pts Final Round 1
Men's 4x100 m Freestyle 34 pts Heat 2 1
Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM7 Final Round 2
Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM7 Heat 1 3
Men's 50 m Butterfly S7 Final Round 4
Men's 50 m Butterfly S7 Heat 1 3
Men's 100 m Backstroke S7 Final Round 4
Men's 100 m Backstroke S7 Heat 1 3
Men's 400 m Freestyle S7 Final Round 1
Men's 400 m Freestyle S7 Heat 2 1
Men's 100 m Freestyle S7 Final Round 1
Men's 100 m Freestyle S7 Heat 2 1
Men's 50 m Freestyle S7 Final Round 1
Men's 50 m Freestyle S7 Heat 2 1
Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games (Beijing, China)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 50 m Freestyle S7 Heat 2 1
Men's 4x100 m Medley 34 pts Final Round 5
Men's 4x100 m Medley 34 pts Heat 2 4
Men's 4x100 m Freestyle 34 pts Final Round 1
Men's 400 m Freestyle S7 Final Round 1
Men's 400 m Freestyle S7 Heat 2 1
Men's 100 m Freestyle S7 Final Round 1
Men's 100 m Freestyle S7 Heat 2 1
Men's 50 m Freestyle S7 Final Round 1
IPC Swimming World Championships Mar del Plata 2002 (Mar del Plata, Argentina)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 100 m Freestyle S7 Heats 1
Men's 50 m Freestyle S7 Final Round 1
Men's 50 m Freestyle S7 Heats 1
Men's 100 m Freestyle S7 Final Round 1
Men's 400 m Freestyle S7 Final Round 2
Men's 100 m Backstroke S7 Heats 3
Men's 4x100 m Medley 34 pts Final Round 1
Men's 4x100 m Medley 34 pts Heats 2
Men's 100 m Backstroke S7 Final Round 4
Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games (Sydney, Australia)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 4x100 m Medley 34 pts Final Round 2
Men's 4x100 m Medley 34 pts Heat 2 1
Men's 4x100 m Freestyle 34 pts Final Round 1
Men's 4x100 m Freestyle 34 pts Heat 2 1
Men's 4x50 m Freestyle 20 pts Final Round 3
Men's 100 m Backstroke S7 Final Round 2
Men's 100 m Backstroke S7 Heat 1 1
Men's 400 m Freestyle S7 Final Round 2
Men's 100 m Freestyle S7 Final Round 1
Men's 100 m Freestyle S7 Heat 2 1
Men's 50 m Freestyle S7 Final Round 1
Men's 50 m Freestyle S7 Heat 3 1