Five-times Paralympic champion Sophie Christiansen of Britain has won a Women of the Future award ©Getty Images

Britain’s five-times Paralympic Games gold medallist Sophie Christiansen has scooped a Women of the Future Award to add to her growing list of individual honours.

The 27-year-old was announced as the winner at a ceremony to mark the most influential women under the age of 35 by the Women of the Future programme, a network for high-achieving and high-potential UK businesswomen.

Christiansen, who claimed two gold medals at Beijing 2008 before she went one better at London 2012, is the first recipient of the sports prize and was recognised for her work outside of the sport.

“I am absolutely honoured to have won the award as there were some very worthy nominations in the category,” she said.

“I feel that it is important for me to use my platform as gold medallist to promote disabled rights and the judging panel recognised my accomplishments and work outside the arena too.”

Sophie Christiansen earned two golds and a silver at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy
Sophie Christiansen earned two golds and a silver at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy ©Getty Images

Christiansen, who was also nominated for the BT Action Woman award in 2013, burst onto the international Para-dressage scene by winning a bronze medal at the Paralympic Games in Athens in 2004.

She has since gone on to become one of the dominant figures of the sport and took home team gold, individual gold and freestyle silver at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy.

“Twenty fifteen is the first year that the Women of the Future awards has included a sports category, and I couldn’t think of a more deserving inaugural winner than Sophie,” Pinky Lilani, founder of Women of the Future, added.

“The judges picked out Sophie for her ferocious determination to succeed as shown by her successes so far and those that we know she will continue to realise.

“We know that she’ll be a phenomenal ambassador for Women of the Future and I am so proud to list her name among our winners this year.”



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