12/3/2004

Gold medal winning paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson OBE, has won another award to add to her triumphs on the athletics track.

In the final programme of S4C’s reality show cariad@iaith, broadcast live from the Barcud studio in Caernarfon last night, (Friday), Tanni was declared the winner of the viewer’s vote as the celebrity learner who had made the most effort during the week’s language challenge.

The celebrities taking part in cariad@iaith have been staying at the Nant Gwrtheyrn Language centre in Pen Llyn, and receiving intensive tuition from tutors Nia Parry and Ioan Talfryn.

As the voting drew to a close last night it became clear that it had developed into a two horse race with both Tanni and singer/songwriter Amy Wadge vying for the title Hardest Working Learner on cariad@iaith.

“It was a close battle between the two, but Tanni is well used to beating formidable opposition to win awards, including BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year and Welsh Woman of the Year,” said a spokesperson from cariad@iaith production company, Fflic. “But it must be said that all the celebrities taking part in cariad@iaith have been winners,” he added. “They’ve tackled the task of learning Welsh in a week with enthusiasm, and we hope that their enthusiasm for the language will continue.”

Tanni is Britain’s best-known Paralympic athlete, having performed at world class level for the last 15 years, in distances ranging from the 100m to the marathon. She was won nine gold medals at the Paralympics and six London marathons. Born in Cardiff in 1969, Tanni has been a wheelchair user since she was eight. She now lives in Redcar with husband, Dr Ian Thompson, and daughter Carys Olivia, who was born in February 2002.

Tanni is a keen knitter, and almost finished a jumper while staying at remote Nant Gwrtheyrn on the Llyn peninsula during the cariad@iaith challenge.

As well as Amy and Tanni, the other celebrities taking part in cariad@iaith were actress Ruth Madoc, actor Bernie Latham, newspaper editor, author and broadcaster, Janet Street-Porter and finalist in Pop Stars: The Rivals, Jamie Shaw. 80s music icon, Steve Strange had to leave after two days because of illness.

Source:	S4C Television
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