Meet Paralympian Kelly Gallagher MBE

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Winter Paralympic Games, on 25th February 2026 we hosted a free online talk for adults, universities and secondary schools (KS4+) with gold-medal winning guest speaker Kelly Gallagher MBE.

Kelly is a former alpine ski racer and three-time Paralympian. In this unique session, she shared her transitional journey from childhood daredevil to an elite winter athlete and medal winner.

Kelly, who has oculocutaneous albinism which limits her sight, first competed at the Winter Paralympic Games in Vancouver in 2010, skiing with her sighted guide Claire Robb. Kelly shared how athletes and guides work as a team, how they communicate clearly while skiing at speeds of up to 110kph, and why trust, teamwork and resilience are so important both in sport and in everyday life.

Kelly talked about the challenges she faced along the way, including injury and personal loss, and how she kept going even when things felt difficult. Her hard work and determination led to a historic moment at the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympic Games, where she became Britain’s first ever Winter Paralympic gold medallist, with her guide Charlotte Evans. Kelly competed in three Paralympic Games, the last being Pyeongchang in 2018 along with her guide Gary Smith.

With thanks to:

This event is made possible by the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund, delivered by the Museums Association.

With additional thanks to our corporate sponsor Wendover Wood.

https://www.wendoverwood.com/