Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Johnson is a world class British swimmer who is best known for her success at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, winning a gold medal in the Women’s SB6 100m breaststroke. Liz is one of only a few to have won gold medals in the Paralympic, World Championships and European Championships.
Liz Johnson was born in Newport, South Wales in 1985 and at the age of 3 Liz’s mother encouraged her to join a group for disabled swimmers. Liz quickly fell in love with the sport and never looked back, competing as an SB6 swimmer and was selected to compete for Team GB at the age of 14. Liz attended Swansea University in 2008 and completed a degree in Business Management and Finance. 2014 saw Swansea University bestow Liz with an honorary fellowship for her sporting achievements as an alumna, highlighting the close relationship the university and Liz share. Upon receiving her award Liz said ‘Swansea University played an important part on my road to sporting success and I loved my time there’.
At the 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships in Durban, South Africa, Liz won gold in the 100 metre breaststroke (individual) and two relay golds. At the same event in 2009, Liz went on to break the world record. 2008 saw the Paralympic Games arrive in Beijing and Liz won gold in the SB6 100 metre breaststroke, another major milestone in her fantastic career. The 2012 London Paralympic games saw Liz win bronze and setting a new Paralympic record on her way to the final.
Liz’s achievements and commitments stretch far wider than just the pool, in 2018, Liz started work with ‘The Ability People’, an organisation that is dedicated to empowering the skilled global disability population. In Liz’s current role as Managing Director and Client Ambassador, Liz leads the team and represents the organisation with corporate partners, outlining and embodying the values that make ‘The Ability People’ unique.
