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Beverley Gull MBE celebrated in new statue of east London sporting heroes

Wednesday 1 October 2008

Just days after the closing ceremony of the Beijing Paralympics – Britain’s most successful in decades – a major new artwork celebrating the record-breaking achievements of Paralympic champion and University of East London (UEL) Photography graduate Beverley Gull MBE was unveiled in Dagenham on Saturday 27 September.

Beverley, winner of eight Paralympic medals for swimming, features alongside fellow east London sporting legends Jason Leonard, Bobby Moore and Sir Alf Ramsay in the larger-than-life sculpture, commissioned by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and positioned in Gale Street – the very road Beverley grew up on!

Beverley said: "This is an absolutely amazing honour! It’s almost unbelievable that I’m actually up there with the greats like Sir Alf and Bobby Moore! East London is a very special place for me – I lived there for over 45 years and was wonderfully supported by my local borough throughout my sporting career.”

Beverley (55) has been a wheelchair user since contracting polio as a child in 1954. A car accident in 1981 resulted in paraplegia, but Beverley’s rehabilitation programme introduced her to swimming, a sport that grew into her passion.

After first representing Great Britain in 1985, Beverley won a total of 41 international gold medals and broke 13 world records during an 11 year swimming career. In 1992, she was awarded an MBE and became an Honorary Fellow of the University of East London, where she worked for over twenty years as a disability advisor.

Beverley retired from swimming in 1996 and soon took up evening classes at adult education colleges. In February 2002, she enrolled part-time on UEL’s BA (Hons) degree in Photography. Earlier this year, she achieved first-class honours and was presented with a Senior Learner Award from the National Institute of Continuing Adult Education.

Beverley said: “As a disabled child growing up in the 1950s, I was never encouraged to gain an education or to dream of any kind of achievement. My swimming success was a great confidence boost and made me wonder what else might be possible.

“Having worked at UEL for so many years, I knew it was a good university, with great support for mature and disabled students. I always enjoyed helping the students, and especially seeing them graduate - it’s fantastic to think that this time it’ll be me up there crossing the stage!”

Professor Susan Price, acting Vice-Chancellor at UEL, said: “Beverley has been a wonderful ambassador of the University of East London, both as an employee and as a student. Her sporting record is second-to-none, and she fully deserves to be recognised alongside such greats as Bobby Moore and Sir Alf Ramsay. Beverley is also a very talented photographer, and we wish her all the very best as she embarks on an exciting new career.”

For further details and photos contact Hana Esselink, Press Officer, University of East London, 020 8223 2194 / 07595 056 245

University of East London: London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Office

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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