By Duncan Mackay

Chris Hallam has had a suite at Cwmbran Stadium named in his honour following his death in August ©Hulton Archives/Getty ImagesDecember 12 - Tribute has been paid to Chris Hallam, one of the pioneers of Paralympic sport who died earlier this year, by Welsh officials at Cwmbran Stadium who have renamed a suite in his honour.


Hallam represented Britain in athletics and swimming at four Paralympics at Stoke Mandeville 1984, Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996.

He won a gold medal in the 50 metres breaststroke at Stoke Mandeville, a silver in the same event at Seoul, where he also won a bronze on the track in the 400m.

Hallam also won a bronze in the 100m at Barcelona, as well as finishing first at the London Marathon in 1985 and 1987.

He died in August at the age of 50 having been diagnosed with lymphoma in 2011.

Hallam had trained at Cwmbran Stadium in Henllys Way, Gwent, with his father John after a road crash left him in a wheelchair aged 17.

"He used to do sprints to start with and he then graduated to marathons," said John.

"When he won his first marathon he said to me, 'Look dad, I'm running again'."

Torfaen Leisure Trust, which runs the Stadium, decided to rename the suite in recognition of Hallam's dedication to the world of sport.

"Everything started here for him with the swimming and then obviously with the track and the weights," said Hallam's sister Julie Martin.

"He would be proud they honoured him in this way."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
August 2013: Paralympic pioneer Hallam dies at age of 50