Susie Rodgers

Susie has competed in two Paralympic Games at London 2012 and Rio 2016. She has won 30 international medals, including 17 gold and set numerous British and European Records in Freestyle and Butterfly events. She also works professionally as a Non-Executive Director on numerous Boards and as a Technical Adviser globally on gender, equalities and disability inclusion. She is Patron of several charities and a former ambassador for Zoggs UK swimwear and Samsung. She is currently an Ocean Ambassador for the Marine Conservation Society in the UK. She advises and speaks globally on disability, empowerment, high performance sport, resilience and inclusion.

Susie wears prosthetic limbs on her left side and orthotics for her right foot. She has lived a life of disability since birth. She understands the complexity of inclusion, but is a strong believer in the rights of people with disabilities, having used her determination to succeed in every aspect of her life despite the barriers she has faced in society to her equal participation. Susie believes that no one should be left behind; in education, work and in government and public life, as well as in society in general. Susie is an advocate and speaker on inclusion and diversity and is a role model and mentor to other people with disabilities, showing what is possible, through openly speaking about her own experiences as a disabled woman.

Susie is also a former professional athlete who competed at two Paralympic Games winning a total of 30 international medals including 17 Gold. She became Paralympic Champion in the 50m Butterfly at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. At the London 2012 Paralympic Games, her first, she came away with three Bronze medals, British and European records. She went on to become multiple European and World Champion across her disciplines including 50m, 100m and 400m Freestyle, 50m Butterfly and 100m Backstroke. It wasn’t until eight years after the start of her journey as a professional athlete, that she finally won individual Gold in the women’s S7 classification 50m Butterfly at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. She set a European record of 35.07 and her shocked expression and reaction became a media and memorable highlight of those Games. Susie conducted her entire career as an athlete whilst still maintaining her professional career with a part-time role at the British Council as well as sitting on various Boards as a Director.

Susie advises international development charities on inclusion, she is an advisor and expert panel member of the British Council’s Global Disability Advisory Panel, which operates in over 100 countries globally in intercultural relations. She currently works at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office as a Technical Adviser on Disability Inclusion in economic development, global health and climate action – advising across global UK strategies, policies, international programmes and UN resolutions amongst other areas. Susie is an Ocean Ambassador for the Marine Conservation Society and has worked with the World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders on the importance of protecting our oceans. Susie has a postgraduate diploma from the Financial Times in Non-Executive Director leadership and has experience sitting on two boards and advisory panels across the health and educational sectors. Susie formerly served on the board of the British Athletes Commission, as the Chair of the Athletes Advisory Group, a time when she worked with fellow directors to lobby for better awareness of athlete welfare and their representation in the UK elite sport system. She was a director of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games legacy charity, Spirit of 2012 for nearly a decade from 2014 and was the safeguarding champion, served on the Audit and Risk Sub-Committee and was Chair of the Inclusion Panel with delegated responsibility from the Board to spend £1m on inclusive grant projects in the UK.