Station renamed after teenage Paralympian

A railway station in Sussex has been temporarily renamed after local Paralympian Bly Twomey to celebrate her success at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Brighton station will be called Blyton until 7 October – the day after World Cerebral Palsy Day.

Passengers arriving at the station will be greeted by a new ‘Welcome to Blyton’ sign, in honour of the 14-year-old’s two bronze medals.

Twomey said: “It’s an honour to see my name on the station in my hometown. I hope it inspires others to believe that anything is possible, no matter who you are.”

Her medal haul puts her in the same league as other Brighton sporting heroes, including fellow Paralympian, table tennis player Will Bayley, and Olympic sprinters Amber Anning and Toby Harries.

Twomey added: “Sport, especially table tennis, is great at bringing people together and making them feel part of a community. I’m very proud to be part of this journey.”

Jenny Saunders, customer experience director at Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), said the company understood the “power of sport” to “bring communities together”.

She added: “We wanted to celebrate Bly’s incredible achievements by renaming Brighton station to Blyton, honouring a local hero who was an inspiration to so many people in the city.”

Follow BBC Sussex on FacebookON Xand further Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or text us on WhatsApp on 08081 002250.

More on this topic:

Related web links: