Tanni Grey-Thompson

The general public does not really understand what athletes do away from competition time. They know there will be some exertion involved, of course, but the finer detail passes them by.

In the past, I admit, I have not been a strong supporter of our top footballers, who seem to get paid a ludicrous amount of money while many other athletes still struggle for good facilities in most parts of the U.K.

The reality for most athletes is that they have to deal with the wrath of the media only after they have performed, not in the final weeks of preparation when they may be at their most vulnerable.

As the Paralympics has evolved and the profile has increased, the coverage has been greater, and there are more Paralympians receiving awards than ever before.

No one should be expected to do more than they can remember, which for me would be about five things at a time. This is why I write lists.

I adore mobile technology, but it annoys me as well.

Carpets are the bane of a wheelchair user's life. One minute you are happily moving in a certain direction; the next, the weave throws you out.

We must seek consensus across all political parties that obesity is a complex disease for which no single cause or cure exists.

Obesity is a complex disease, influenced by a multitude of factors.

Competition motivates female athletes to keep pushing themselves when sensible people would be sitting down and putting their feet up.

I really like dyeing my hair. My mum let me dye it orange when I was six, with one of those wash-in, wash-out things. I haven't been my natural mousey brown since I was 13, and when my hair was really short I'd change the colour every two weeks.

I'm too much of a coward for plastic surgery, but if I could wave a magic wand and change something, it would be my ears. They are large and they stick out - my left ear farther than my right.

In the morning I make sure I look in the mirror without my contact lenses in, because it's much more pleasant. With contacts, I see wrinkles around my eyes and realise how much more important foundation is as I get older.

Disability, whether as a private or a public-policy issue, is the subject on which I receive by far the most correspondence. It is both a personal and highly emotive topic, and touches on the law, public policy and social attitudes.

I've had ups and downs, like most people, in my personal and professional life. But I value those - and it is disappointing that others sometimes don't.

For me, watching the 1985 London Marathon was a seminal moment.

The Paralympics defined my life, but they also reach into homes across the nation, redefining public perception of what's possible.

Perhaps we need to redefine our idea of role models; they're not always elite athletes whose success might seem too distant or unachievable. Sometimes it's our friend who just smashed her first 10k, or our Zumba teacher who is enthusiastic, encouraging and real.

My parents felt physical activity was massively important for me to be able to have an independent life - I needed to be strong enough to climb up a flight of stairs by myself, they insisted, and they were right.

The question of when to start a family is not easy for any career woman. But the decision can be even harder when your career is in sport.