Champion swimmer Ellie Simmonds spoke to The Mirror about becoming a foster parent
Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds has opened up about her desire to foster - after she was given up for adoption at just 10 days old.
At ten days old, Ellie was put up for adoption. She wondered if this decision was taken after her parents were told she had a disability and if being born with dwarfism influenced their decision. “We don't choose to be in foster care. Kids need love, need a home, and then you’re also talking about disability as well. Most people say they want a non disabled child.
“When I got the chance to meet her, she said she’d watched me in all the other Paralympics. “I think that's great respect from her, she never came up and met me. She always let me do my thing because she didn’t want to upset me or get in the way.” “So, to hopefully now have that, where people have watched me from 2012 and they’re now going to the Paralympics, it’s amazing.”
Ellie came to national attention when she competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, winning two gold medals for Great Britain. She was the youngest member of the team at 13. She’s fronted hard-hitting documentaries Finding My Secret Family - which saw her search for her birth mum - and A World without Dwarfism. From August 28, Ellie will front C4’s Paralympic Games. Will not taking part be tough? Ellie says not.
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