Susie Rodgers, Paralympic gold medallist, has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Bournemouth University in recognition of her sporting success and for championing disability inclusion and sustainability.
She represented Great Britain in swimming at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, winning six medals, including gold in the 50-metre Butterfly in Rio. She refers to herself as an “accidental athlete”, having been talent spotted for the British Paralympic team in her early 20s, much later than many of her peers. Over her sporting career, she has earned 30 international medals and set multiple European and British records. Her achievements in sport were recognised with an MBE in 2017.
Away from swimming, she has built a distinguished career in international development and foreign policy. She currently serves as an adviser on Disability Inclusion at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and works with global organisations to promote inclusive strategies and access to assistive technologies.
Susie says that her own experiences of disability often serve as a uniting force when meeting and working with marginalised groups around the world.
A respected thought leader and speaker, Susie has served as a Young Global Leader with the World Economic Forum and addressed audiences at Davos and the SHE Gender Equality Conference. Her advocacy spans disability rights, gender equality and conservation, and she holds voluntary roles with Women Enabled International and the Marine Conservation Society in the UK.
When asked about how it felt to receive her award, Susie said “I was very excited and very honoured. I’ve visited Bournemouth University many time to speak to students and so it feels a bit like a long-term relationship and this is the icing on the cake.”
Her advice to the graduates in the hall with her was, “Sometimes you know what you want to do when you graduate and sometimes you don’t - when I graduated, I didn’t know and I just want to say that that’s ok. Life will take you where it takes you and let it unfold.”
Susie Rodgers received her Honorary Doctorate of Arts at Bournemouth University’s graduation ceremony at the Bournemouth international centre on 7 November.
