Emma Brown (powerlifter)

Emma Brown, born on 18 September 1979, is a retired British Paralympic powerlifter who won gold medals at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Paralympics. She was born in Gravesend, Kent, to Welsh parents, and is a full-time wheelchair user because she was born with spina bifida. She tried other sports first, including track and field and archery, and began powerlifting at Stoke Mandeville, where she set a British record with her first lift. At the 2000 Games in Sydney she lifted 132.5 kg to win the women's up to 82.5 kg event, becoming the first British woman to win a Paralympic powerlifting gold medal as the sport made its Games debut. At the 2004 Games in Athens she defended the title in the same class with a total of 130 kg, tying with the French lifter Carine Burgy and winning on lower body weight.