Olivia Breen – multi-award-winning Paralympian in sprint and long jump – has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship at University of South Wales’ January graduation ceremonies, in recognition of her contributions to the world of sport.
Olivia became internationally recognised for her talents at the 2012 Paralympics where, at just 16 years old, she won a bronze medal for Great Britain’s in the T35-38 4x100m relay race.
Olivia was diagnosed with cerebral palsy in childhood, and is deaf, but has never let this hinder her passion for athletics. She is a keen advocate for body positivity and inclusivity in sport and is also a motivational speaker.
She has consistently excelled on the global stage, winning multiple medals at World and European Championships, achieving gold in the T38 long jump at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London, and gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
At the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Olivia took bronze in the T38 long jump. Notably, she won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the T38 100m, becoming the first Welsh woman in 32 years to win a gold medal in a track event.
Winning with a personal best time of 12.83 seconds, this career highlight led to her being named BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year in 2022 – an accolade awarded unanimously by an expert panel of Welsh sporting professionals.
On receiving her Honorary Fellowship: “I am beyond honoured to be receiving this fellowship from USW. Winning a gold medal for Wales in the 100m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games was the proudest moment of my life and the pinnacle of my athletic career. I never expected to receive any kind of award from a university as I always found school difficult, so to now receive this recognition from USW means the world. Thank you so much!”
