1. Dame Sophie Frances Pascoe was born on 8 January 1993 and is a retired New Zealand para-swimmer.
11 Facts About Sophie Pascoe
1. 2.
Sophie Pascoe represented New Zealand at four Summer Paralympic Games from 2008, winning a total of eleven gold medals, seven silver medals and one bronze medal, making her New Zealand's most successful Paralympian.
3.
On 23 September 1995, Sophie Pascoe was accidentally run over by her father on the family ride-on lawnmower.
4.
Sophie Pascoe attended Halswell Primary School, and Lincoln High School in the nearby Christchurch satellite town of Lincoln.
5.
Sophie Pascoe began swimming at the age of 7, and from the age of 8 up until 2022, was coached by Roly Crichton.
6.
Sophie Pascoe is classified S10 for freestyle, backstroke and butterfly, SB9 for breaststroke, and SM10 for individual medley.
7.
At 15 years of age, Sophie Pascoe was New Zealand's youngest athlete at the Paralympics, and the youngest ever New Zealander to win a medal.
8.
Sophie Pascoe was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2009 New Year's Honours, for services to swimming.
9.
In February 2012, Sophie Pascoe became the inaugural winner of the Disabled Sportsperson of the Year award at the 2011 Halberg Awards.
10.
In March 2013, Sophie Pascoe broke her own world record for the 50m butterfly at the New Zealand Swimming Championships in Auckland, setting a time of 29.21 seconds.
11.
Sophie Pascoe's success took her gold medal count to nine and her total medal count to 15, overtaking Eve Rimmer's eight gold medals and 14 total medals to become New Zealand's most successful Paralympian.