Paula Craig MBE (born 1963) is a British former detective, cyclist, former runner, paratriathlete and aspiring Channel swimmer. After she became paraplegic she continued in her career rising to the rank of inspector. She competed in the

London Marathon The London Marathon (also known as the TCS London Marathon for sponsorship reasons) is an annual marathon held in London, England. Founded by athletes Chris Brasher and John Disley in 1981, it is typically held in April, although it moved to Oct ...

and took part in a relay swim of the

English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...

Life

Craig was born in 1963 to Stan and Phyllis in the Welsh port of

Fishguard Fishguard (, meaning "Mouth of the River Gwaun") is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with a population of 3,400 (rounded to the nearest 100) as of the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. Modern Fishguard consists of two parts, Lowe ...

, where she was raised. She was a keen

triathlete A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the ...

. She ran the

in under three hours. In 2001, Craig had been a police officer with the Metropolitan Police for 15 years and was living in

Hemel Hempstead Hemel Hempstead () is a town in the Dacorum district in Hertfordshire, England. It is located north-west of London; nearby towns and cities include Watford, St Albans and Berkhamsted. The population at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 cens ...

. While training for the Triathlete World Championship, she was knocked off her bicycle by a car on the Redbourne Road ( A5183). She became paraplegic as her spinal cord was severed. She recovered in Fishguard. The police made adjustments so that Craig could continue her career. Craig credits Police Commissioner

Sir John Stevens John Arthur Stevens, Baron Stevens of Kirkwhelpington, (born 21 October 1942) is a former Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (head of the Metropolitan Police Service), having served from 2000 until 2005. From 1991 to 1996, he was Chie ...

for his support, as the police were not at that time subject to the

Disability Act Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, ...

, which later obliged employers in Britain to make reasonable adjustments for those with disabilities. (The police were included from October 2004.) Craig returned to her career, rising to become a

detective inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia The rank of Inspector is present in all Australian police forces excep ...

working in the Metropolitan Police's Serious Crime Group. She would surprise those involved with crime scenes, when junior officers would point out the person in charge and all they could see was a woman in a wheelchair. She was awarded an MBE for her services to policing in 2005 and she won a

paratriathlon Para triathlon is a variant of the triathlon for athletes with a physical disability. The sport is governed by World Triathlon (TRI; formerly known as the International Triathlon Union or ITU), and was first held as a Paralympic event at the 2016 S ...

in Honolulu. Craig returned to the London Marathon after the accident in 2001. She is said to be the first woman to have competed as a runner and as a wheelchair racer. She finished third behind

Tanni Grey-Thompson Carys Davina Grey-Thompson, Baroness Grey-Thompson, ( Grey; born 26 July 1969), known as Tanni Grey-Thompson, is a Welsh life peeress, television presenter and former wheelchair racer. Athletic career Grey-Thompson started wheelchair racin ...

who had helped her prepare for the event. In 2020, Craig joined an attempt to relay-swim the English Channel. She became involved after giving motivational talks to Channel swimmers who repeatedly asked when she was going to swim it. The swim was in aid of a British charity, involving a team of six swimmers. The swim was done in 2022, and made Craig the first person with a complete spinal cord injury to be part of a relay team’s swim of the English Channel from Dover without a wetsuit. She managed to stop her legs from sinking using her core strength. She did two hour-long swims. Craig served in the police for 31 years, and has since become a motivational speaker.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Craig, Paula 1963 births Living people Sportspeople from Fishguard Metropolitan Police officers British women police officers Police detectives British female wheelchair racers Paratriathletes British motivational speakers Members_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire