Tanni Grey-Thompson is set to lead Sport Wales 20 years after she carried the Welsh flag at the Commonwealth Games ©Getty Images

Paralympic champion Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is counting the days until she takes over as the leader of Sport Wales on July 4.

"On a personal level, this appointment completes a circle," she says.

"Sport Wales and Elite Cymru was the first board I joined while I was still a competing athlete and it gave me a real insight into how the sports system works from both perspectives."

Her competitive career brought her 11 Paralympic gold medals and lasted from Seoul 1988 to Athens 2004.

She also competed in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester when events for athletes with disabilities were first introduced to the programme.

Since her competitive career ended, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has forged a career as a voice for athletes ©Getty Images
Since her competitive career ended, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has forged a career as a voice for athletes ©Getty Images

"I am both delighted and excited by this chance to support people to become active and to lead healthy lifestyles," Grey-Thompson added.

"I firmly believe that had I not been born and raised in Wales, I would not have experienced the opportunities that came my way."

Grey-Thompson will report to the Welsh deputy minister for art and sports Dawn Bowden.

"Her appointment will bring huge value to sport in Wales," Bowden said.

"She has been a credible and persuasive voice for youth, for women, and for disabled athletes across many areas of public life, and I look forward to working with her.

"Not only has she inspired a nation in the competitive arena, but she also has significant ambassadorial and strategic experiences at an international level."