Early Life and Education
Denise Rosemarie Lewis was born on August 27, 1972, in West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England. Raised in Pendeford, Wolverhampton, she attended the Regis School, later known as the King’s School. A sports hall at her old school was later named in her honor.
Athletic Career
Denise Lewis is best known for her achievements in track and field, specifically in the heptathlon. Standing 1.75 meters tall, she made history by winning the gold medal in the heptathlon at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Her career highlights include winning two Commonwealth Games gold medals, the European Championship in 1998, and silver medals at the World Championships in 1997 and 1999. At the Décastar meeting in 2000, she set a personal best score of 6,831 points, which was a British record at the time and ranks her third on the all-time British list.
Post-Athletic Career
After retiring from athletics, Denise Lewis transitioned to a successful career in television. She became a prominent sports presenter and pundit for BBC Sport, covering major events such as the 2012 London Olympics, the 2016 Rio Olympics, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Denise also took part in various non-sports TV programs, including hosting the daytime series "Right on the Money" and the children's reality show "Camp Orange." She has been a presenter on the BBC's "Secret Britain" and participated in "Strictly Come Dancing," where she was a runner-up in 2004 and later competed in the Champion of Champions Special.
Honors and Recognition
Denise Lewis contributions to sports and media have earned her numerous accolades. She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1999, Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2001, and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2023. In addition to these honors, Denise Lewis was awarded the Freedom of the City of Wolverhampton in 2000 and inducted into the Wolverhampton Sporting Hall of Fame in 2010 and the England Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011. She was also recognized at the Wolverhampton Famous Sons & Daughters Awards in 2013 and received an honorary degree from the University of Wolverhampton in 2014.
Personal Life
Denise was in a relationship with Belgian sprinter Patrick Stevens from the late 1990s until 2005, with whom she has a daughter. In 2006, she married Steve Finan O'Connor, former manager of the UK pop group All Saints and current manager of Liam Payne. They have three sons together.
Denise Lewis has also been included in the Powerlist of the 100 most influential Black Britons and was the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Ethnic Diversity Sports Awards in 2015.
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