Tanni is Welsh Woman of the Year

Tanni adds the title to her four Paralympic golds

Wales's award-winning Paralympic athlete Tanni Grey-Thompson has added another title to her collection - she is this year's Welsh Woman of the Year.

She scooped the award at a ceremony at Cardiff's International Arena where she was also named as winner of the Woman in Sport category, a new entry for the 2001 competition.

Mother-to-be Ms Grey-Thompson, 32, who has

Sir Steve Redgrave presents Tanni with her 2000 Sports awards

become a BBC Wales television presenter since picking up four gold medals at the Sydney Paralympics last year, is a leading personality in the disability sports arena.

Her career has taken her to every major international sporting event in recent years.

She boasts a total of 13 Paralympic medals, eight medal placings in the London Marathon and a comprehensive set of British and World Records.

In 2000, she was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honour List and was named BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year.

Her work in sports administration includes membership of the United Kingdom Sports Council, the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games Organising Council Association and patronage of the British Sports Trust.

Tanni's success in Sydney

Born in Cardiff in 1969, Ms Grey-Thompson was educated at St Cyres Comprehensive School and subsequently obtained an honours degree at Loughborough University.

She now lives in Redcar in the north east of England with her husband of two years, Dr Ian Thompson.

The Welsh Woman of the Year Awards are sponsored by The Western Mail in association with S4C and the Welsh-language televison magazine programme, Heno.

Entries to this year's competition were up by 20% on 2000. This was whittled down to a shortlist of 30, and then to a final 10.

All category winners received a Welsh Royal Crystal Trophy, with the Tanni Grey-Thompson winning an additional trophy and £1,000.

Neil Fowler, editor of the Western Mail, said: "Virtually every entry could be a worthy winner, a splendid example of Welsh women at their very best."