Stephanie Millward: Great Britain Paralympian retires after 13-year career

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Stephanie MillwardImage source, Getty Images
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Great Britain's Stephanie Millward won two Paralympic gold medals at Rio 2016

Great Britain's former Paralympic, world and European champion Stephanie Millward has retired after 13 years as a competitive swimmer.

Millward competed at four Paralympic Games after making her debut in 2008.

She won 700 career medals, including five golds at the 2009 World Championships and two at the Rio Paralympics in 2016.

The 40-year-old, who raced for the last time at the Tokyo Paralympics, said "now is the time to celebrate".

Millward was on the verge of making the able-bodied British international team before she was diagnosed with incurable Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

"I have spent the last 13 years travelling the world representing GB and competing in national, European, world, Commonwealth and Paralympic competitions, securing more than 700 swimming medals, of which 10 are Paralympic ones, including my coveted two golds from Rio 2016," she said.

"I have been awarded an MBE and been given the freedom of my local town Corsham.

"Now is the time to celebrate and thank all those that helped me to come to terms with my incurable MS."