Dame good day for wheelchair athlete

Britain's leading wheelchair athlete Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson was close to tears when she collected her latest honour from the Queen at Buckingham Palace today.

Grey-Thompson, 35, who has won 11 gold medals in her career including gold at the Athens Paralympics, was made a Dame in the New Year Honours.
Already awarded an OBE and MBE, she said: It's pretty cool to be Dame Tanni - I never thought this would happen in my life. It shows how far paralympic sport has come in this country."

Grey-Thompson, from Redcar, who received her damehood for services to disabled sport, later threw a lunch party for 27 family and friends, including dad Peter Grey, husband Ian, and three-year-old daughter Carys.
"Carys was too young to come to the investiture so she went to Madame Tussaud's instead," said Dame Tanni. "I was fine until I saw my Dad. It was really emotional."