Britain’s most successful Paralympic athlete Dame Sarah Storey named Sheffield City Region active travel commissioner
One of Britain’s most successful Paralympic athletes has been named as South Yorkshire’s first ever active travel commissioner.
Multi gold medal and world championship-winning sportswoman Dame Sarah Storey will lead efforts to promote and incorporate walking and cycling into everyday transport.
Metro mayor Dan Jarvis welcomed the 41-year-old into the role at an official unveiling at Sheffield Hallam University.
The new commissioner will work with Mayor Jarvis to support his vision, working to develop and deliver an ambitious ‘Active Travel Plan’.
Dame Sarah will also work with organisations such as local authorities, the Passenger Transport Executive, community groups and public health professionals along with national Government.
The move mirrors efforts in Greater Manchester, where mayor Andy Burnham named Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist Chris Boardman as the area's active travel commissioner in 2017.
Boardman produced a 15-step report to ‘transform Greater Manchester’ into one of the ‘best places in the world to walk and cycle’, with hopes to make active travel ‘easy, attractive and safe’.
Dame Sarah, who lives in the Peak District, has won 14 Paralympic golds in both cycling and swimming, making her the nation's most successful athlete.