{{Short description|British swimmer (born 1974)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox swimmer | name = Graham Edmunds | image = | imagesize = | caption = | fullname = Graham Edmunds | nationality = British | strokes = 50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle 34 point Freestyle Relay | club = Swansea | collegeteam = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|09|22|df=yes}} | birth_place = Reading | death_date = | death_place = | height = | weight = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's swimming}} {{MedalCountry|{{GBR2}}}} {{MedalCompetition|Paralympic Games}} {{MedalGold|2004 Athens|4×100 m freestyle – 34 pts}} {{MedalGold|2008 Beijing|4×100 m freestyle – 34 pts}} {{MedalCompetition|IPC World Championships}} {{MedalBronze| 2010 Eindhoven | 4×100 m freestyle 34 pts}} {{MedalCompetition|IPC European Championships}} {{MedalGold | 2009 Reykjavik | 4x100m freestyle relay 34pts}} {{MedalBronze | 2009 Reykjavik | 50 m freestyle – S10}} |show-medals=true }}
'''Graham Edmunds''' (born 22 September 1974) is a British swimmer who has competed in three Paralympic Games, winning two gold medals in world record times.<ref name="Times">{{cite news|title=Team GB continue Paralympic success|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/article4724215.ece|publisher=Times Online|accessdate=19 April 2011|date=10 September 2008|location=London}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.paralympic.org/graham-edmunds |title=Graham Edmunds |website=Paralympic.org |publisher=International Paralympic Committee |access-date=}}</ref> He was a member of the Reading Swimming Club where he was also a part-time lifeguard and coached the Cygnets, Reading's club for swimmers with learning difficulties.<ref name="post">{{cite web|title=Graham beats odds to qualify for Paralympics |url=http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/s/10058_graham_beats_odds_to_qualify_for_paralympics |publisher=Reading Post |accessdate=19 April 2011 |date=27 July 2004}}</ref>
==Accident== In October 2000, Edmunds was knocked off his motorcycle whilst riding to work on the A4. His injuries were so severe that doctors considered amputating both of his legs and believed that he would never walk again.<ref name="post"/> He spent three months with his legs in casts before beginning swimming again as part of his physiotherapy routine. Because he had limited movement in his ankle joints, he qualified as a disabled swimmer in the S10 category. When Edmunds met the British Paralympic coach Billy Pye he decided to begin training for the 2004 Summer Paralympics, but had to move to Swansea to make use of the High-Performance Training Centre as Reading had no Olympic-size swimming pool.<ref name="post"/><ref>{{cite news|title=Edmunds targets Paralympic gold|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/swimming/7509632.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=19 April 2011|date=16 July 2008}}</ref>
==Paralympics== Edmunds made his first appearance at the Paralympics in 2004. He competed in two individual S10 classification freestyle events as well as the 4×100 m freestyle 34 pts relay team. In the individual 100 m he was knocked out in the heats but he made the final of the 50 m finishing in sixth.<ref>{{cite web|title=Results ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 100 m Freestyle S10|url=http://www.paralympic.org/Sport/Results/results.html?eclass=S10&sport=swimming&competition=2004PG&gender=m&discipline=&event=100%20m%20Freestyle|publisher=International Paralympic Committee|accessdate=19 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Results ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 50 m Freestyle S10|url=http://www.paralympic.org/Sport/Results/results.html?eclass=S10&sport=swimming&competition=2004PG&gender=m&discipline=&event=50%20m%20Freestyle|publisher=International Paralympic Committee|accessdate=19 April 2011}}</ref> The relay team, which also featured David Roberts, Robert Welbourn and Matt Walker, set a new world record time of 3 59.62 seconds to win the gold medal ahead of Australia on the day of Edmunds 30th birthday.<ref>{{cite news|last=Davies|first=Gareth|title=Swimmers on crest of a wave|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/swimming/2387236/Swimmers-on-crest-of-a-wave.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912054854/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/swimming/2387236/Swimmers-on-crest-of-a-wave.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 September 2012|accessdate=19 April 2011|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=23 September 2004|location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Hudson|first=Elizabeth|title=Paralympic diary: Day six|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/3681982.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=19 April 2011|date=22 September 2004}}</ref>
In 2008 Edmunds won a silver medal and set a new British record in the S10 50 m freestyle at the British Swimming Championships.<ref>{{cite news|title=In-form Kindred sets world record|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/7333760.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=19 April 2011|date=6 April 2008}}</ref> He made his second Paralympic appearance for Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Paralympics, held in Beijing, China. Edmunds raced in the same three events as in 2004 as well as the 4×100 m medley 34 pts relay team. he made the finals of both his individual events but failed to win a medal, finishing seventh in the 100 m and eighth in the 50 m. In the medley the Great Britain team made the final but finished fifth, 17 seconds behind the new world record time set by gold medallists Australia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Results Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Swimming Men's 4x100 m Medley 34 pts|url=http://www.paralympic.org/Sport/Results/results.html?eclass=34%20pts&sport=swimming&competition=2008PG&gender=m&discipline=&event=4x100%20m%20Medley|publisher=International paralympic Committee|accessdate=19 April 2011}}</ref> The freestyle relay quartet of Edmunds, Roberts, Walker and Welbourn successfully defended the title they had won in Athens setting a new world record of 3 minutes 51.43 seconds en route to winning gold.<ref name="Times"/>
At the 2009 IPC Swimming European Championships in Reykjavík, Edmunds won an individual bronze medal in the men's S10 50 m freestyle and a gold medal in the 34 point 4x100 m freestyle competing with Walker, Welbourn and Jonathan Fox.<ref>{{cite news|title=Simmonds claims fourth Euro title|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/8321630.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=19 April 2011|date=22 October 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Final day joy for GB's swimmers|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/8324485.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=19 April 2011|date=24 October 2009}}</ref>
In 2010 Edmunds was appointed to UK Anti-Doping's newly formed Athlete's Committee along with fellow Paralympian Helene Raynsford.<ref>{{cite web|title=Paralympians appointed to Athlete Committee for UKAD |url=http://www.paralympics.org.uk/show_news.asp?itemid=3236&itemTitle=Paralympians+appointed+to+Athlete+Committee+for+UKAD§ion=000100010006§ionTitle=News |publisher=British Paralympic Association |accessdate=19 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927041916/http://www.paralympics.org.uk/show_news.asp?itemid=3236&itemTitle=Paralympians%2Bappointed%2Bto%2BAthlete%2BCommittee%2Bfor%2BUKAD§ion=000100010006§ionTitle=News |archivedate=27 September 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=UK Anti-Doping’s newly formed Athlete Committee provides advice on all matters of anti-doping|url=http://www.ukad.org.uk/pages/athlete-committee/|publisher=UKAD|accessdate=19 April 2011|archive-date=9 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110309112351/http://www.ukad.org.uk/pages/athlete-committee/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2013 he was reappointed to the Athletes Committee of UK Anti-Doping for a further three years.
In May 2012 it was announced that Edmunds had been selected as part of the ParalympicGB to compete at London 2012. http://www.swimming.org/britishswimming/news/disability-swimming/paralympicsgb-nominees-confirmed-for-london-2012/13764/
==Post Swimming==
Following on from the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Edmunds announced that he was retiring from competitive swimming.
In early 2013 Edmunds was appointed chairman of The Swimming Competitors Association, and therefore also appointed to the executive board of British Swimming as the Athletes Representative.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IPC athlete|graham-edmunds}} * [http://www.swimming.org/britishswimming/disability-swimming/mens-world-class-pathway-podium/graham-edmunds/622/ Graham Edmunds], Swimming.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edmunds, Graham}} Category:Living people Category:Paralympic swimmers for Great Britain Category:Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Paralympics Category:Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Paralympics Category:Paralympic gold medalists for Great Britain Category:1974 births Category:Swimmers at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Paralympics Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Paralympics Category:S10-classified para swimmers Category:Medalists at the World Para Swimming Championships Category:Medalists at the World Para Swimming European Championships Category:Paralympic medalists in swimming Category:English male freestyle swimmers Category:British male freestyle swimmers Category:Sportspeople from Reading, Berkshire