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 March 12, 1984) is an amazing Scottish athlete. He is known for his incredible success in cycling, especially in events for people who have trouble seeing. Neil has competed in the Paralympics, which are like the Olympic Games for athletes with disabilities. He started as a runner in the 2008 Games in Beijing. Later, he became a tandem cyclist for the London 2012 Games.

In London, Neil won a gold medal in the men's 1 km time trial. He also earned a silver medal in the sprint event. For these races, he rode a special two-person bike called a tandem. His partner, called a "pilot," was Barney Storey, who could see. Outside of the Paralympics, Neil Fachie is a champion many times over! He has won nineteen world titles and five Commonwealth Games titles. He has worked with other great pilots like Pete Mitchell, Craig MacLean, and Matt Rotherham.

Neil Fachie's Amazing Journey

Early Life and Sports Start

Neil Fachie was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1984. He has a condition called retinitis pigmentosa. This means his eyesight slowly gets worse over time. Even with this challenge, Neil loved sports. He studied physics at Aberdeen University. While there, he started training in athletics.

At 24 years old, Neil qualified for the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. He competed in the 100m and 200m running races. Although he ran his best, he didn't win any medals in China. This made Neil think about trying a different sport.

Switching to Cycling

After the 2008 Paralympics, Neil decided to switch to cycling. The strength he had built from sprinting helped him a lot. The coaches for the Great Britain Para-Cycling Team were very impressed. By September 2008, he was training with the team. By April 2009, he was a full member!

First World Championships and Paralympic Gold

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

In 2011, Neil went to 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.

In 2012, Neil and Barney Storey competed in the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. They raced in the men's 1 km time trial for visually impaired riders. They set an amazing new world record time of 1 minute and 1.351 seconds! Their main rivals had a problem with their bike, so Neil and Barney won the gold medal.

More World Records and Commonwealth Wins

After his Paralympic success, Neil received an honor called the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2013. This was 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. They competed in the World Championships in Mexico. They won the gold medal in the 1 km time trial. They also broke Neil's own world record! They became the first tandem team to finish the Kilo in under one minute, with a time of 59.460 seconds. They then won another gold medal in the sprint.

Neil reunited with Craig MacLean for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. They won two gold medals: one in the Kilo time trial and another in the sprint B tandem.

Continued Success and Paralympic Glory

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, Neil, with Matt Rotherham as his pilot, won gold again. They successfully defended their Kilo time trial and sprint B tandem titles. This made Neil equal the record for the most Commonwealth Gold medals, sharing it with sprinter Allan Wells and lawn bowler Alex Marshall.

At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Neil and Matt Rotherham won another gold medal in the men's time trial B.

In 2022, Neil was given an even higher honor, becoming an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This was also for his amazing contributions to cycling.

Later in 2022, Neil Fachie won Scotland's first gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. He won in the tandem 1 km time trial B event. He also earned a silver medal in the tandem sprint B event.

Personal Life

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

See also

• 2012 Olympics gold post boxes in the United Kingdom