About this artwork

Caroline Baird (formerly Innes) represented Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a sprinter at three Paralympic Games. Born in Cupar, Fife, she was involved in sport from a young age. She won a gold medal in the 100 metres at the 1992 Barcelona Games and retained her title four years later in Atlanta. In the Sydney 2000 Games, she won gold medals in the 200 and 400 metres and silver in the 100 metres. For over a decade Baird was recognised as the world’s leading sprinter in her para sports classification. She challenged perceptions, raised standards and broke down barriers in sprinting for athletes with cerebral palsy. This portrait is a study for the group painting by Lessore, Six British Paralympic Athletes (2004) which was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Updated before 2020

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John Lessore

John Lessore