Neil Fachie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Neil Fachie
OBE

Barney Storey and Neil Fachie, 2010
Personal information
Full name	Neil Fachie
Born	(1984-03-12) 12 March 1984 (age 41) Aberdeen, Scotland
Education	University of Aberdeen
Sport
Country	United Kingdom
Sport	Athletics Cycling
Achievements and titles
Paralympic finals	2008 2012
Medal record Men's para cycling Representing  Great Britain Paralympic Games Gold 2012 London Tandem B kilo Silver 2012 London Tandem B sprint Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro Tandem B kilo Silver 2024 Paris Tandem B kilo Track World Championships Gold 2009 Manchester Tandem B kilo Gold 2009 Manchester Tandem B sprint Gold 2011 Montichiari Tandem B kilo Gold 2011 Montichiari Tandem B sprint Gold 2014 Aguascalientes Tandem B kilo Gold 2014 Aguascalientes Tandem B sprint Gold 2015 Apeldoorn Tandem B kilo Gold 2015 Apeldoorn Tandem B sprint Gold 2016 Montichiari Tandem B kilo Gold 2016 Montichiari Tandem B sprint Gold 2018 Rio de Janeiro Tandem B kilo Gold 2018 Rio de Janeiro Tandem B sprint Gold 2019 Apeldoorn Tandem B sprint Gold 2020 Milton Tandem B kilo Gold 2022 Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Tandem B kilo Gold 2023 Glasgow Tandem B kilo Gold 2023 Glasgow Tandem B sprint Gold 2023 Glasgow Tandem B team sprint Gold 2024 Rio de Janeiro Tandem B kilo Silver 2012 Los Angeles Tandem B kilo Silver 2017 Los Angeles Tandem B kilo Silver 2017 Los Angeles Tandem B sprint Silver 2019 Apeldoorn Tandem B kilo Silver 2020 Milton Tandem B sprint Silver 2024 Rio de Janeiro Tandem B team sprint Representing  Scotland Commonwealth Games Gold 2014 Glasgow Tandem B kilo Gold 2014 Glasgow Tandem B sprint Gold 2018 Gold Coast Tandem B kilo Gold 2018 Gold Coast Tandem B sprint Gold 2022 Birmingham Tandem 1 km time trial B Silver 2022 Birmingham Tandem sprint B

Neil Michael Fachie, born on March 12, 1984, is an amazing Scottish athlete. He used to be a track runner, but now he's a famous cyclist. Neil competes in sports for people who have a visual impairment, meaning they can't see very well.

He has taken part in the Paralympics twice. First, he was a sprinter at the 2008 Games in Beijing. Then, he became a tandem cyclist for the London 2012 Games. In London, he won a gold medal in the men's 1 km time trial and a silver medal in the sprint. For both races, his sighted partner, called a pilot, was Barney Storey.

Beyond the Paralympics, Neil Fachie is incredibly successful. He has won the world championship nineteen times and the Commonwealth Games five times. He has worked with several pilots, including Barney Storey, Pete Mitchell, Craig MacLean, and Matt Rotherham.

Neil Fachie's Journey in Sports

Neil Fachie was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1984. He has a condition called retinitis pigmentosa, which affects his eyesight from birth. Neil studied physics at Aberdeen University. While there, he started doing athletics.

From Sprinter to Cyclist

At 24 years old, Neil qualified for the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. He competed in the 100m and 200m sprint races. Even though he trained hard, he didn't win any medals in China. After the Games, Neil decided to try a new sport: cycling!

His strong legs from sprinting helped him a lot in cycling. Great Britain's cycling coaches were very impressed. By September 2008, he was training with the GB Para-Cycling Team. He officially joined the team in April 2009.

Early Cycling Success

In 2009, Neil entered the Para-Cycling Track World Championships. He teamed up with Barney Storey as his pilot. They won gold medals in both the Kilo (a 1 km time trial) and the Sprint events. They even set a new world record in the Kilo!

In 2011, Neil went to Montichiari, Italy, for his second World Championships. This time, his pilot was Craig MacLean. Again, they won gold in both the Kilo and Sprint. They also set a new world record in the Sprint.

Paralympic Glory in London

Neil competed in his third World Championships in Los Angeles, USA. He reunited with Barney Storey, who would also be his pilot for the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. They won a silver medal in the Kilo event.

At the 2012 London Paralympics, Neil and Barney competed in the men's 1 km time trial. They set an amazing new world record time of 1 minute and 1.351 seconds. After some rivals had a problem with their bike, Neil and Barney won the gold medal!

More World Records and Commonwealth Wins

In 2013, Neil was honored with the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) award for his great achievements in para-cycling. He also received an honorary degree from the University of Aberdeen.

In 2014, Neil teamed up with Pete Mitchell for the World Championships in Mexico. They won gold in the 1 km time trial. They broke Neil's own world record by finishing in 59.460 seconds. This made them the first tandem team to complete the Kilo in under a minute! They also won a second gold medal in the tandem sprint.

Later in 2014, Neil and Craig MacLean won two gold medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. They won both the Kilo time trial and the sprint B tandem events.

Continuing to Win Medals

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, Neil, with Matt Rotherham as his pilot, successfully defended his Kilo time trial and sprint B tandem titles. By doing this, he equaled the record for the most Commonwealth Gold medals, sharing it with other famous athletes.

Neil continued his success at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. He won a gold medal in the men's time trial B with Matt Rotherham.

In 2022, Neil was given an even higher honor, becoming an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to cycling. That same year, he won Scotland's first gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the tandem 1 km time trial B event. He also won a silver medal in the tandem sprint B event.

Most recently, at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, Neil won a silver medal in the tandem B kilo.

Personal Life

Neil Fachie is married to Lora Fachie, who is also a visually impaired racing cyclist from England.

See also

• 2012 Olympics gold post boxes in the United Kingdom