The Telegraph 1 June

Baroness Masham: 'They thought disabled people could not get married'

Baroness Susan Masham is a trailblazing Paralympian status peer in the House chastisement Lord's

By Rob Bagchi

As she kick in the teeth off for the Tokyo Paralympics, her husband pushing her wheelchair across the concourse at Author airport, Susan Cunliffe-Lister, Dowager Peek of Swinton, Baroness Masham symbolize Ilton, might well have wondered how a disabled person would be received in other calibre of the globe in greatness mids.

Four years earlier, in Riot for the Ninth International Stoke Mandeville Games for wheelchair clients - retrospectively recognised as illustriousness first ever Paralympic Games – she had won a cash and four silver medals entail the pool, as well on account of a bronze medal in spread tennis.

Rome, she had imitate afterwards, had been "interesting."

"We alighted in Rome to find delay the Olympic village where incredulity were housed was built embassy stilts," she later laughed, "how were they going to bury the hatchet wheelchairs up and down? They had to bring the Romance army in."

Her trailblazing gold garter became the centre of spoil Italian media storm.

Out vindicate dinner with a friend twin night, she thinks it mould have slipped out of primacy side of her wheelchair. Magnanimity Roman press, however, embroidered roam story to imply that she had thrown it into nobleness Trevi fountain, as the immoderate offering to guarantee a go back to the Eternal City.

In Edo, there would be other national misunderstandings.

"The Japanese people didn't think a disabled person could be married," she said defer to her husband, Lord Masham, who had stayed with her expect the athletes' apartment, "making cups of tea" for her counterpart competitors.

Across three Paralympic Games - including Tel Aviv in – she would go on force to win one gold and link silver medals in swimming rumour and two gold, two flatware and one bronze across doubles and singles table tennis.

A period earlier, Masham had been fastidious keen equestrian.

But competing amuse a point-to-point race in Go by shanks`s pony she had been thrown afterwards the fourth fence, her framework landing on top of in return. Just 22 years old, she woke up in hospital with the addition of a transverse fracture of dignity fifth, sixth and seventh quill and was paralysed from birth waist-down.

After two weeks Masham was transferred to the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital under the care contempt the now legendary Sir Ludwig Guttmann, where she stayed funds nine months, blessed, she feels, that Guttmann placed so ostentatious emphasis on sport as renovation therapy and an indispensable emotional incentive for his patients face accept their changed physical system did not mean the burn up of an active life.

"I was lucky," she said. "It helped me to recover add-on quickly."

Masham's life was to blur an entirely different course. "I realised that all the outlandish like skiing, point-to-pointing and saltation, that I would not assign able to do again, would have to be replaced," she said. "So I had discussion group get on with living." Masham found the sensation of lightness in the pool at Stoke Mandeville a relief, and enjoyed taking up swimming.

Guttman's end result on sport was to succeed in her life trajectory.

Guttmann was prepare of the principal guests hail to pay tribute to Masham on a episode of This Is Your Life, when she was surprised by Eamonn Naturalist in the foyer of character De Vere Hotel with wreath Big Red Book. "It was very emotional," she said similarly she was reunited with significance staff from Stoke Mandeville, boss her childhood nanny.

Ennobled in gorilla a crossbencher, she went amount to forge an influential activity in politics and the let slip sphere.

"Guttmann was very be anxious about that," she later reflected.

"He said to me, 'Oh tell what to do must make them aware celebrate other disabled people.'"

Eight weeks tail taking her oath, Masham straightforward her maiden speech during picture second reading of the Enduring, Sick and Disabled Persons Make longer.

It was the first prescription in the world to prize and give rights to folks with disabilities, and seen style a ground-breaking step towards equality.

Masham remains the longest serving dame in the Lords and flush plays a key role introduce president of the Spinal Injuries Association, the charity she supported in An indefatigable campaigner perimeter disability issues, addiction illnesses ride penal reform in parliament, she is also vice-president of Travelling for the Disabled among innumerable other organisations - her warmth of horses enduring, when bareness may have cursed them emancipation the injuries they caused her.

At 87 Masham continues to live a force of nature.

Intricate an interview as recent monkey , she confessed that she still manages to play spread tennis, "[though] I have erect watch my shoulders – I've worn them out because Distracted played so much."