Danny Crates facts for kids
Danny Crates – Paralympic Gold Medallist and former world record holder, now a motivational speaker
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality |  United Kingdom |
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| Born | 9 February 1973 Orsett, Essex, England |
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| Spouse(s) | Single | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other interests | Rugby, Scuba Diving, Motivational Speaker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www.dannycrates.co.uk | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Great Britain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability class | T46 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 400 metres, 800 metres | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Ayo Falola | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 25 July 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| Updated on 1 May 2015. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Daniel Brian Crates (born 9 February 1973) is a famous British athlete. He used to be a top runner, especially in the 800-meter race. Danny is a former world record holder in this event. He has won many gold medals in big international sports events. These include the Paralympic Games, European Championships, and World Championships.
Danny was born in Orsett, England. He started athletics after a car accident in 1994. This accident happened in Australia and caused him to lose his right arm. He competed in events for athletes with arm amputations, known as T46 class.
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Danny's Amazing Athletics Journey
Danny proudly represented Great Britain at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney. There, he won a bronze medal in the 400-meter sprint. Four years later, at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, he achieved something even bigger. He won a gold medal in the 800-meter race!
Setting World Records
After the Sydney Games, Danny decided to focus on the 800-meter race instead of the 400-meter. This was a great choice for him. In 2004, he set a world record in the 800m with a time of 1 minute, 53.27 seconds. He achieved this amazing feat at the AAA Championships.
Winning Gold Medals
Danny continued to win many more gold medals. He won the 800m race at the European Championships in both 2003 and 2005. He also took home gold in the same category at the World Indoor Championships in 2003. Earlier, in 2001, he had won gold in the 400m at the European Championships.
He also won gold in the 800m at the first-ever Paralympic World Cup in Manchester in 2004. He won gold again in 2006 and 2007 at the Paralympic World Cup.
Beyond the Running Track
Danny Crates is not just a runner. He also plays competitive rugby with teams of players who do not have amputations. This shows his incredible versatility and determination. He is also a qualified diving instructor.
Carrying the Torch
In 2008, Danny had the honor of carrying the Olympic torch through London. Later that year, he was chosen as the flag bearer for Great Britain. This was for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing.
Retirement and New Adventures
Danny retired from athletics on 25 July 2009. His last race was at the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace, where he finished third. During his amazing career, Danny won a total of 11 gold medals and 1 bronze medal.
Since retiring, Danny has stayed busy. He became a motivational speaker, inspiring many people with his story. He has also appeared on TV shows. He was part of the UK Channel 4 commentary team for the London 2012 Paralympics. In 2017, he was also part of the presenting team for the 2017 BDO World Darts Championship on Channel 4.
His autobiography, a book about his own life, was published in 2012. It is called Danny Boy. Danny also took part in the 2015 series of Celebrity MasterChef. More recently, he was part of the Channel 4 commentary team for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
