1. Sophie Margaret Christiansen was born on 14 November 1987 and is an English former equestrian who competed in four successive Paralympic Games.
16 Facts About Sophie Christiansen
1. 2.
In 2016, Sophie Christiansen gained three gold medals at the Paralympics in Rio on Athene Lindebjerg.
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In 2008, Sophie Christiansen represented Great Britain at the Summer Paralympics.
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Sophie Christiansen first competed at the Paralympics aged 16 and was the youngest athlete for Great Britain at the 2004 Summer Paralympics.
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Sophie Christiansen has often spoken about how the Paralympics changed her life as a teenager.
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Sophie Christiansen would have joined the GB team of Paralympic gold medallists Sir Lee Pearson, Natasha Baker and Sophie Wells.
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Sophie Christiansen's place was taken by the European medallist Georgia Wilson who made her Paralympics debut.
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Sophie Christiansen is a patron of the charity Chance for Childhood.
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Sophie Christiansen takes part in the Superhero Series twice a year on her recumbent trike to promote inclusive recreational sport and staying fit and healthy for people with a disability.
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Sophie Christiansen was named BBC London Disabled Athlete of the Year for 2004.
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Sophie Christiansen was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2009 New Year Honours for services to disabled sport, promoted to Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to equestrianism, and further promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to para-equestrianism.
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In 2015 Sophie Christiansen won a 'Women of the Future Award'.
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Sophie Christiansen was shortlisted for 2016 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, eventually being voted fifth out of sixteen contenders.
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Sophie Christiansen was educated at Charters School and Royal Holloway, University of London, where she attained a first class master's degree.
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Sophie Christiansen received an honorary fellowship from the college in May 2012.
16.
Sophie Christiansen told The Times that working two days a week helped to "lessen the intensity" of competing at a high level in sport.