Sheila Carey

Sheila has competed at two Olympic Games, 1968 in Mexico where she came 4th in the 800m achieving a personal best time of 2min 03.8sec and in 1972 competed in the 1500m final in Munich finishing 5th, in 2min 04.8sec, finishing under the pre games world record. In 1970 she was also fastest member of the two world record-breaking Great Britain 4 x 800m relay teams. Since retiring from competitive running Sheila has been very proactive within disability sport. UKA undertake much of this work now but Sheila is the British Blind Sport Voluntary Athletics Organiser, Development Coach and Committee member. Locally within Nuneaton & Bedworth Sheila's the founder and one of the coaches at the U2 Track and Field Club, that weekly caters for disabled athletes, as well as volunteering her time at Bedworth Disabled Swimming club as a coach, teacher and committee member. In 1990 she was recognised for her outstanding voluntary contribution to sport by receiving the British Institute of Sports Coaches 'Coach of the Year' award. Throughout the years of coaching disabled athletes to enjoy sport, many have been inspired and gone onto participate in the Paralympics and have held world records. Although not fully retired from work, as well as the above activities she volunteers in, Sheila is involved with Octavian Droobers Orienteering Club and is British age group champion.