LONDON DAILY ARCHIVE
Paralympic Gold Medalists to be Honored at Buckingham Palace
Sabrina Fortune and David Ellis, both gold medal winners at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, to receive MBEs from the Prince of Wales.
12 February 2025 · 07:36 UTC
Sabrina Fortune, a track and field athlete from Wales, won the gold medal in shot put, setting a world record of 15.12 meters.
She has been recognized with an MBE in the King’s New Year Honours 2025 for her contributions to athletics.
David Ellis, a 38-year-old visually impaired athlete, won gold in the men's paratriathlon and has also been honored with an MBE for his services to the sport.
Both athletes will receive their awards during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday from the Prince of Wales.
In addition to Fortune and Ellis, 47 other individuals are set to receive honors at the royal residence on the same day.
Among them is David Mearns, a marine scientist known for his work in locating historic shipwrecks.
Mearns, who holds an OBE for his contributions, is currently searching for the anchor of the HMT Empire Windrush, a ship that played a crucial role in transporting Caribbean migrants to the UK in the 1940s.
His career spans over three decades, during which he has located 29 major wrecks, including the 16th-century ship The Esmeralda, part of Vasco da Gama’s fleet.
Mearns is recognized for holding the world record for the deepest shipwreck ever found, lying nearly 19,000 feet below sea level, as well as for locating the light aircraft that carried footballer Emiliano Sala, which disappeared in 2019.
Additionally, Richard Finney, a grooming expert and founder of Captain Fawcett, will be honored for his contributions to international trade and charity.
Finney's grooming wax was notably used to maintain the moustache of actor David Suchet in the role of Hercule Poirot in the ITV drama.
His business, based in Norfolk, generates exports worth £1.5 million per year, and he has also been recognized for his charitable efforts supporting men’s mental health, homelessness, and children’s welfare.