Michael Thomas Brace (born 19 June 1950) is a former paralympic skier, social worker and leader of disabled charities. He was Chief Executive of Vision 2020 UK (2001-2012) and served as Chairman of the British Paralympic Association (2001-2008). He was blinded at the age of ten by an accident with a firework and subsequently attended Linden Lodge School for the Blind in Wimbledon. He gained a Diploma in Social Work from the Polytechnic of North London in 1976 and in the same year competed as a cross-country skier in the inaugural Winter Paralympics. Brace published the first volume of his autobiography ''Where there's a will'' in 1980. He published the second volume in 2017
precised on his official web site
He was awarded the

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in 2005 and

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in 2009 for services to paralympic sport. He was the subject of ''

This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...

'' in 1982 when he was surprised by

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...

outside Bush House in London.

References

External links

Mike Brace's official website
1950 births Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Deputy Lieutenants of Greater London Paralympic cross-country skiers for Great Britain Cross-country skiers at the 1976 Winter Paralympics British male cross-country skiers People educated at Linden Lodge School Alumni of the University of North London Living people {{UK-crosscountry-skiing-bio-stub