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Who is Ellie Simmonds? Paralympic champion swimmer and five-time gold medallist

CHAMPION swimmer Ellie Simmonds has been ruling the waves since 2008.

Simmonds has won a total of FIVE Paralympic gold medals – winning her first at the age of just 13. Here’s the lowdown…

Ellie Simmonds celebrates with her medals from Rio 2016Getty Images

Who is Ellie Simmonds?

Simmonds was born on 11 November 1994 in Walsall.

She has achondroplasia, a common cause of dwarfism, and has been interested in swimming since the age of five.

At the age of 11 she moved to Swansea to use the city’s top swimming pool.

Ellie Simmonds has won eight Paralympic medals – including five goldsGetty Images

What has Ellie Simmonds won?

Simmonds was the youngest British athlete at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, and won gold medals in the 100m freestyle and 400m freestyle.

Four years later in front of a vociferous home crowd, Simmonds was on the money again, defending her 400m freestyle title with a new world record and also securing the 200m individual medley.

She also won silver in the 100m freestyle and bronze in the 50m freestyle in London.

Simmonds defended her 200m individual medley title in Rio last year, winning her fifth Paralympic gold medal.

Ellie Simmonds has won 10 world championship medals

She also won bronze in the 400m freestyle in Rio, bringing up her total of Paralympic medals to eight.

Simonds swims in the S6 disability category.

She was given an MBE in the 2009 New Year Honours, and was the youngest person to ever be handed this accolade at just 14.

In the 2013 New Year Honours, she received an OBE for her services to Paralympic sport.