2023 World Abilitysport Conference Athlete and Coach Speakers

Stephen Miller MBE PLY is a three-time Paralympic Champion and six-time Paralympic medallist, he stands as a symbol of triumph over challenges. His legacy is etched across six Paralympic Games, seven World Championships, and seven European Championships. An exceptional 34 international medals adorn his career, including a remarkable streak of three consecutive Paralympic titles at Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, and Athens 2004. A record holder for 11 years in the F32 Club Throw, Stephen’s achievements have left an indelible mark on the world of athletics.

Beyond his illustrious athletic career, Stephen is a renowned keynote motivational speaker, an adept experience and workshop host, an insightful writer, a dedicated charity founder, a visionary board member, and an executive mindset coach.

In 2013, Stephen established SMILE Through Sport, a charitable organization dedicated to uniting disability sport development activities with training and education initiatives. The charity’s mission is to facilitate access to sports and physical activities for disabled individuals, impacting countless lives and fostering inclusion.

Recognized for his contributions, Stephen was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list in 2016 for his services to sport. A passionate advocate for inspiring individuals, he extends his impact through visits to schools, sports clubs, community groups, and businesses. Stephen’s goal is to empower people to embrace the power of positive thinking, unlocking their potential to thrive.

Paula Dunn MBE OLY is a 5-time Commonwealth medallist and a European medallist who represented Great Britain from 1986 – 1996. Paula was also selected for 2 Olympic Games and 3 World Championships during this time. After a successful athletic career, Paula was employed by UK Athletics for twenty-one years. Initially, Paula undertook multiple roles including Talent Identification Manager, Regional Manager and Talent Manager on the Olympic Programme.

Paula served as the U18 Team Leader and  U20 Team Coach between the years of 2003 – 2008. She began working on the Paralympic programme in 2009 as the Podium Potential Manager and was the Team Leader for the Junior teams from 2009 – 2011 and the lead speed and relay coach for the senior team in 2011 and 2012. In 2012, Paula was promoted to Head Coach of the Paralympic Programme and led the para team through a transformative and much celebrated period which included winning record medal tallies at Paralympic and World level.

Throughout her career, Paula has been a team leader at both U18 and U20 in the Olympic and Paralympic landscape, a team coach for England at the Commonwealth games in 2006 and 2022 as well as attending 3 Paralympic Games, 5 Para World Championships, and 4 European Para Championships as the Team Leader.

A few years ago Danny Teare began a new life as a stroke survivor. Danny survived his first stroke in 2019 and four further strokes in 2020. With the help of family, friends, professionals and community support groups Danny has been able to enjoy many activities again. Sport and activity has been a huge factor in his mental and physical recovery. In fact, it was this realisation that gave Danny the idea to create a beach activity session for other stroke survivors and their loved ones in his local area. This event was a huge success and now partnered with “Coastal Crusaders CIC” and this community project is continuing to grow.

Surfing has been the focus of his life for over 25 years and everyday he feels hugely grateful to be able to enjoy it some more. Due to Danny’s post stroke injuries he now bodysurfs (rather than stand up surf) and has been competing in various UK Bodysurf open events. In Autumn 2023 Danny will be representing the UK team at the 2023 Euro Bodysurf Tour in France.

At just 14 years old, Tamsin Colley made history at the Rio 2016 Paralympics by becoming Youngest Ever Track and Field Paralympian to represent Australia. Tamsin has since won international para-athletics medals at the World Junior Para-Athletics Championships and Oceania Athletics Championships and became a finalist at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships. These incredible achievements saw her being awarded the honour of re-lighting the Paralympic Cauldron at the 20-year anniversary of the Sydney 2000 Games.

In recent years, Tamsin has also taken up CP Football alongside her athletics training. In May 2023, she made the squad for the ParaMatildas training camp, Australia’s Female CP Football Team and hopes to build on her good progress within the sport in the years to come.

Anita Maria Laszlo is a highly experienced coach, classifier, physiotherapist and teacher based in Budapest, Hungary. Anita is currently a physiotherapist and physical education and recreation teacher at the Mozgasjavito Institute for Disabled Children and Youth. Alongside this role, she is the coach for the Mozgasjavito Boccia Team and Tamas Darnyi Swimming Club where athletes from both clubs regularly compete in national and international competitions.

In 2007, Anita took up the position of Head of Classification at IWAS Fencing. She also serves on a number of committees relating to classification and sports development including the IWAS Fencing Committee, BisFed Development Committee and the Hungarian Paralympic Committee Classification Team.