Your email address will not be published. When asked what differentiates her as an athlete, Simmonds said that being a stickler for everything is a strength that she has learned to hone and master. Hailey, 43, said: "It makes a huge difference, because we don't get to see ourselves very often, especially on something as big a scale as Strictly Come Dancing. James Jordan has slammed Steph McGovern s Packed Lunch after he claims they made out he was attacking Strictly Come Dancing s Ellie Simmonds. She has also participated in S6 events. She started swimming at the age of five and started competing against able-bodied children at the age of eight. Ellie said she had a close relationship with her sister Katie who is five years older than Ellie. Im from a family of five so Ive got four older siblings, she said. The swimmer, from Aldridge, has become a favourite on the show, which is her first major career move since retiring after last summer's Tokyo Paralympic Games. But when you stand on the block and you hear that beep, youre in your element. They met through Simmonds parents, Penny and Arthur Dean, who co-founded the Dwarf Sports Association that the athlete is a patron of. You get your 10m badge, you get your 100m badge and I was always that child that wanted to be so competitive and get those badges as soon as possible.. Theyve been together for a couple of years, until now keeping their relationship out of the public eye, but they have known each other since they were toddlers. While there are more than 20 years between them her eldest siblings are in their 30s, and 40s they try to do family activities together as often as possible. When you come to the competition day, those nerves that you feel beforehand when you feel physically sick, its crazy adrenaline that you feel. Michael Gallup siblings. "It might look different, and my partner's going to be tall and we're probably not going to be able to hold the same poses, but I'm sure it's going to work. Eli Apple is unmarried and has no attachments to anyone. Eli Apple is the nephew of actor and comedian Michael Blackson. Growing up, Simmonds parents were super encouraging. After competing in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, Ellie announced her retirement from Paralympic swimming. Speaking to The Guardian back in 2014, Ellie revealed that she is the youngest of five but that only she and her 32-year-old sister Katie have the genetic She was born with achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. Eli Apple has two half siblings, who have their identities unknown.