Bloody-Mindedness:Tanni Grey-Thompson

Don’t Tell Me The Score

The power of being 'bloody-minded', with Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.Tanni is a Paralympic legend who now sits in the House of Lords, and she credits much of her success to being bloody-minded. It’s all about having a stubborn streak, and not just taking no for an answer. Tanni was born with Spina Bifida, and aged seven her spinal cord severed leading her to choose to get around in a wheelchair. At that time, Tani’s parents were told she was unlikely to amount to much and were given a long list of things that Tanni wouldn’t be able to do. Her parents refused to accept that as truth however, and encouraged an independent streak which helped Tanni go on to achieve a huge amount- in sport and in life. In this episode, Tanni shares the outlook and mindset that helped her be such a success. Tanni and Simon reflect on whether grit is more important than talent, discuss the importance of planning and how half the battle is ‘just getting started’. They also talk about the importance of being aware of self-limiting beliefs, and the power of not mindlessly buying into them. Tanni also speaks about the importance of not being afraid to try in life- and of aiming high.