Ellie Simmonds on Identity, Parenthood and Life After Sport
This week on the Happy Place podcast, Ellie Simmonds joins Fearne for a candid conversation about who we are when everything familiar falls away.
After retiring from Paralympic swimming at just 24, Ellie faced a seismic shift in identity. No longer training, competing or winning medals, she missed the structure sport once provided and found herself wondering what came next. “You lose a massive part of yourself,” Ellie shared. “My medals gave me confidence… now I have to figure it out all over again.”
STORYTELLING: ELLIE’S NEW CHAPTER
Now an award-winning documentary maker, Ellie has turned her focus to disability and its impact on parenthood. Her latest film explores the real-life complexities families face when a child’s diagnosis changes everything. Ellie’s work shines a light on how little support or empathy is offered in those pivotal moments and why the language used matters. “Being told your baby might have a disability is already emotional. When the language is negative, it stays with you forever,” she explains.
Ellie brings care and curiosity to every story, including that of families navigating IVF and genetic diagnoses, often questioning her own path as she goes. The conversation turns to Ellie’s experiences with being adopted and meeting her own birth mother, as well as whether she would like to be a mother one day.
MOTHERHOOD, CHOICE AND ACCEPTANCE
At 30, Ellie is asking big questions about motherhood. It’s not just about whether it’s something she truly wants but also how her own genetics might affect her future choices. “Some days I think, yes, I want children. Other days I think… I love the freedom I have now. And that’s okay.”
She’s also learning how to sit with uncertainty, acknowledge fears and challenge pressure from society to decide quickly or fit into expected timelines.
ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE
Through her documentaries, Ellie highlights the stories of people navigating disability and what this means in 2025. While she celebrates the increasing visibility of disability she’s clear that increasing representation is just one part of the work. Daily issues - like broken lifts, lack of accessible toilets or inadequate support - remain hugely challenging.
“We’ve adapted for so long,” she explains. “But now we need actual change. The government needs to listen.”
Ellie’s episode is a reminder that identity isn’t static and that storytelling, in all its honesty and vulnerability, can change lives.
