Chris Holmes (swimmer)

Christopher Holmes, Baron Holmes of Richmond, MBE (* October 15, 1971 in Peterborough ) is a British former swimming athlete and politician of the Conservative Party. Since September 2013 he is a life peer member of the House of Lords.

Life

Holmes attended the Harry Cheshire Comprehensive School ( since September 2002: Baxter College) in Kidderminster in the county of Worcestershire. Already as a teenager he was active as a float. As a teenager, he fell ill at the age of 14 years exudative vitreoretinopathy Family ( FEVR ), a rare genetic eye condition that has an incomplete vascularization of the peripheral retina result. The disease occurred in Holmes unexpectedly; He woke up one morning in his bed and could not see. In Holmes, the disease led to permanent, total blindness. He joined the City of Birmingham Swimming Club in Birmingham and continued to train as a float; he underwent there the regular training program that completed all athletes who wish to participate in the Olympic Games.

Between 1985 and 2001, Holmes was a member of the British national team of swimmers; five years, he was team captain. For the UK, he took 1988-2000 at four Paralympic Games in part. For the Paralympic Games, he won a total of nine gold medals, six at the Summer Paralympics in Barcelona in 1992 and three at the Summer Paralympics in Atlanta in 1996, and five silver medals and one bronze medal. He is the owner of a total of 7 world records, 10 European records and two Olympic records.

He studied political science at King's College, University of Cambridge, where he earned a master's degree. The BBP Law School, he graduated with a diploma in law. His studies focused on the BBP Law School was commercial law. From 1994 to 2000 he worked as a freelance journalist. From 1995-197, he was project manager ( Project Consultant ) of the Royal Mail Olympic Sponsorship Team. From 2002 to 2009 he worked as a solicitor with the law firm Ashurst in London. His legal subject areas included labor law, company pension schemes and pension law ( Employment and Pensions Law ).

In August 2009, he was in 2012 and the Summer Paralympics in London appointed to the "Director of Paralympic Integration" at the Summer Olympic Games in 2012. Holmes was also since 2002 Commissioner of the Disability Rights Commission.

1993 Holmes was appointed in the annual New Year Honours List for Members of the Order of the British Empire, in recognition of his services to the sport of swimming for people with disabilities ( "For services to Swimming for the Disabled. ").

Membership in the House of Lords

In August 2013 it was announced that Holmes was appointed Life Peer and for the Conservative Party Member of the House of Lords should be. He was appointed as a " working peer ". On September 13, 2013, was formally charged on Life peer; he bears the title of Baron Holmes of Richmond, of Richmond in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Holmes belongs to the House of Lords since September 13, 2013 and formally. On October 30, 2013, was introduced with the assistance of Kenneth Baker, Baron Baker of Dorking, and Paul Deighton, Deighton Baron, officially the House of Lords.