Sharron Davies facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sharron Davies
MBE

Personal information
Born	(1962-11-01) 1 November 1962 (age 62) Plymouth, Devon, UK
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	10 st 6 lb (66 kg)
Website	sharrondavies.com
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle, individual medley
Club	Portsmouth Northsea Swimming Club
Medal record Women's swimming Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games Silver 1980 Moscow 400 m medley European Championships (LC) Bronze 1977 Jönköping 400 m medley Bronze 1977 Jönköping 4×100 m freestyle Representing  England Commonwealth Games Gold 1978 Edmonton 200 m medley Gold 1978 Edmonton 400 m medley Silver 1978 Edmonton 4×100 m freestyle Silver 1990 Auckland 4×200 m freestyle Bronze 1978 Edmonton 4×100 m medley Bronze 1990 Auckland 4×100 m freestyle

Sharron Elizabeth Davies (born 1 November 1962) is a famous English former swimmer. She proudly represented Great Britain and England in major swimming events. Sharron won a silver medal in the 400-meter individual medley at the 1980 Olympics.

She competed in three Olympic Games across three different decades. Her international swimming career lasted over 20 years. After retiring from swimming, Sharron has worked in media. She also supported London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games. Sharron is a patron for Disabled Sport England and SportsAid, helping young athletes. She also helped raise over £10 million for charities through the Swim for Life event.

Early Life and Training

Sharron Davies was born in Plymouth, Devon, England. She grew up in Plymouth and Plymstock. Sharron has two twin brothers. She went to Plymstock Comprehensive School. She also attended Kelly College, now called Mount Kelly, a private school in Tavistock.

She first learned to swim with the Devonport Royal Swimming Association. When she was eight, she joined the Port of Plymouth Swimming Association. Her father, Terry Davies, became her coach. In 2021, her father was added to the Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Sharron's Swimming Career

Sharron made her mark early, joining the British national team at just 11 years old. In 1976, at age 13, she was chosen to represent Great Britain at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. This was a huge achievement for such a young swimmer.

The next year, she won two bronze medals. These were at the 1977 European Championships. At 15, she won two gold medals at the 1978 Commonwealth Games. She won these in the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medleys. She also earned a silver and a bronze medal at the same games.

Olympic Success

At the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, Sharron won a silver medal. This was in the 400-meter individual medley. She finished behind Petra Schneider from East Germany.

Returning to the Pool

At 18, Sharron took a break from swimming. She wanted to focus on television and modeling. But in 1989, she returned to competitive swimming. She trained at Bracknell & Wokingham Swimming Club. Her comeback was successful, as she won two more medals at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

Medals and Awards

Sharron Davies has achieved many great things in swimming. She broke or re-broke many British records. For a full list of her medals, you can see the Medal record in the infobox.

Her main achievements include:

• A silver medal in the 400-meter individual medley at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.
• Two gold, two silver, and two bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games. These were won in 1978 and 1990.
• Two bronze medals at the European Championships.

Sharron held the Commonwealth Record for the 400-meter individual medley for 18 years. She has also broken five World Masters records. In 1993, Sharron was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This award was given "for services to swimming."

Media and Other Work

Sharron has had a busy career outside of swimming. She has written books and appeared on many TV shows.

Books and Publications

• Her swimming story, Against the Tide, was published in 1984.
• She wrote Learn to Swim in a Weekend in 1992. This book was translated into many languages.

Television Appearances

• Sharron appeared in the Channel 4 comedy series The Optimist.
• She presented a series on This Morning about mums and babies learning to swim.
• She was on Question Time to discuss London's winning Olympic bid.
• In 1996, she presented Channel 4's The Big Breakfast.
• In 1995, she joined ITV's Gladiators and was known as "Amazon."
• She presented Ace Reports, which was ITV's version of Blue Peter.
• Sharron also took part in The Island with Bear Grylls.
• She was a guest dart player on the game show Bullseye for charity.
• Sharron has worked for the BBC as a swimming presenter and commentator. She also covered other sports for the Atlanta and Sydney Olympics.
• In 2008, she presented Superstars with Jim Rosenthal.
• In 2010, she competed on the ITV series Dancing on Ice. She was partnered with Pavel Aubrecht.
• She made a ski tuition video with world champion Franz Klammer and fellow swimmer Duncan Goodhew.
• Sharron was a presenter at London's 2012 Olympics Handover Party in the Mall.
• In January 2022, she launched her own online fitness site, Sharron Davies Training.
• In 2023, she released her book, Unfair Play: The Battle for Women’s Sport.

Images for kids

• 

  Sharron Davies in the 1983 series The Optimist

• 

  Bronze statue of a mermaid, modeled by Davies, on the sea wall of the Royal Yacht Squadron

See also

In Spanish: Sharron Davies para niños

• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
• List of Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming (women)