Stefanie ‘Stef’ Reid is a track and field Paralympian who represents Great Britain in the 100m, 200m and Long Jump. Stef competed in the 2008 Paralympics for Canada and won a bronze medal in the women’s T44 200m. Switching allegiance, Stef began competing for Great Britain in 2010 and broke three World Records in the space of two months. Stefanie won a silver medal in the long jump at the London 2012 Paralympics and the 2016 Paralympics.
Born in New Zealand to a Scottish father and an English mother, Stef and her family moved to Toronto, Canada when she was four. Stef lost her right foot in a boating accident, aged 16. Her life was saved by a surgeon in Toronto who managed to stem the blood flow through amputation. Sports-loving before the accident, she played rugby union but encountered difficulties post-amputation with referees who felt the artificial leg could injure other players. Deciding to concentrate on her studies, she gained a full scholarship to Queen's University to study biochemistry. After joining the campus track and field team, she competed three years later at the BT Paralympic World Cup in 2008.
With the option to compete for three countries - based on her of place of birth, the nationality of her parents and her place of residence - she first represented Canada in the Beijing Paralympic Games, finishing third in the 200m and fifth in the long jump. Stef made the decision to compete for Great Britain soon after the Paralympics in 2008, choosing to follow the nationality of her parents. It wasn’t an easy choice but one that has been vindicated with some impressive results. She spent a year out of competition in 2009 in order to complete her switch and has fully embraced British life, training at Loughborough University. Her husband, Brent Lakatos, is an elite wheelchair racer and won 3 silver medals for Canada at the 2012 Paralympics. He has also relocated to England from Dallas, Texas, where the dynamic duo will continue to train side by side.Stef’s truly multi-cultural upbringing has helped shape her fantastic personality.
Away from the track, Stef made her modelling debut last April, fronting Debenhams’ Diversity Campaign, with the aim to challenge perceived norms of the fashion industry. Stef worked with inclusivity campaigner Caryn Franklin MBE. Following on from this, Stef was invited to join the illustrious ‘Models of Diversity’ group, with whom she modelled clothing at the ‘Time for Change’ catwalk, as well as at the Ideal Christmas Home Show. She recently made history when she became the first ever British amputee to model at London Fashion Week.
Stef is an established speaker who can talk about a diverse range of topics. She has been invited to numerous events for the likes of BT, BP and Sigma Aldrich. She‘s extremely comfortable in front of an audience, with a fascinating story to tell of her career and experiences so far. As well as speaking, Stef is an academic scholar and has a degree in Biochemistry. She is currently completing a Masters in Nutrition, an area she hopes to work in once she’s finished competing.