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Writer's picturePhil Packer

Paralympic, World and European Champion, Danny Crates, joins the BRIT Ambassador family

We are delighted that Danny has joined our BRIT Ambassador family. Danny is a British former athlete who specialised in the 400 and 800 metres. He is a former Paralympic World Record holder and won gold at the Paralympic Games, World Championships and European Championships.

Danny Crates - Paralympic, World and European Champion

“I’m thrilled to join the BRIT Ambassador family help support and improve young adult mental health and fitness throughout the UK.

The BRIT 2021 Challenge is a great opportunity for students and young adults at every UK university and college to take part in a feel-good fundraiser; at a time when we need to do more to support young adult mental health, this is the perfect UK-wide event for universities and colleges to embrace and champion.

I hope that my fellow current and retired Olympians, Paralympians and sports personalities will join our BRIT Ambassador family to champion the BRIT 2021 Challenge and help to encourage student and staff participation at universities and colleges of their choice throughout the UK.


I look forward to encouraging students and staff at the University of East London and the University of Essex to take on the BRIT 2021 Challenge”.


Danny Crates

Paralympic, World and European Champion

Danny Crates - BRIT Ambassador

Before Danny’s accident in 1994, he was representing both Essex and the Eastern Counties of England in rugby. Within a year of losing his right arm in a car crash at the age of 21, Danny was back playing full contact rugby and then qualified as a scuba diving instructor working on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. During his time in Australia he also worked as a shark display diver. He then focussed on athletics and during his glittering 12 year career in the T46 (arm amputee) events, Danny represented Great Britain at the Paralympic Games, Paralympic World Cup, World Championships and European Championships. In 2000, Danny won bronze in the 400 metres at the Summer Paralympics in Sydney. After Sydney, he switched from the 400 metres to the 800 metres, however still managed to win gold running the 400 metres at the 2001 European Championships. Danny won gold in the 800 metres at the 2003 European Championships and gold at the 2003 World Indoor Championships. In 2004, Danny won gold in the 800 metres at the inaugural Paralympic World Cup in Manchester and won gold in the 800 metres at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens. He held the former 800 metre World Record that he set in 2004 at the AAA Championships. In 2008, Danny was selected as flag bearer for the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in Beijing and led our the Paralympic GB Team. Danny retired from athletics in July 2009 and during his career he won 11 gold medals and 1 bronze. Danny has become a leading media presenter including Channel 4’s BAFTA-winning coverage of the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, the 2017 BDO World Darts Championships and as the morning presenter on the World Para Athletics Championships in London. He also presents his own BBC Radio show. Danny also appeared on Celebrity Masterchef and reached the quarter final. He is a motivational speaker, has written his autobiography called “Danny Boy” and continues to play rugby.


Danny is a personal performance coach and owns 1404 Performance. For more information on Danny and his remarkable career, please visit his website.

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