Sharron Davies: Swimmer, Life Peer, and Women’s Sports Advocate

There aren’t many careers that stretch from the Montreal Olympics to the House of Lords, but Sharron Davies has managed it. You probably know her as the British swimmer who won silver in 1980 — but her second act, as a life peer and prominent voice on women’s sports, is just as defining.

Full name: Sharron Elizabeth Davies, Baroness Davies of Devonport ·
Born: 1962 (age 62–63) ·
Olympic medal: Silver (1980 Moscow, 400 m medley) ·
MBE awarded: 1980 ·
Life peerage: 2024 (Baroness Davies of Devonport) ·
Children: 2 (including daughter Ella)

These seven facts trace a single arc: athletic achievement fused with political advocacy, from the pool deck to the parliamentary chamber.

Seven key facts, one pattern: Sharron Davies’s public identity has consistently blended athletic achievement with political advocacy — first in the pool, now in Parliament.

What is Sharron Davies doing now?

Recent public appearances and media work

• Davies continues to speak at literary festivals and events — in April 2024 she appeared at Oxford Literary Festival discussing transgender athletes in professional sport (Cherwell (Oxford University student newspaper)).
• She remains a regular media commentator, appearing on UK television and radio to discuss fairness in women’s sport.
• Her official blog describes her as a “longtime advocate and campaigner for women in sport” (Sharron Davies official blog).

“Simply cheating.”

House of Lords activities since 2024

• Davies was appointed a life peer in 2024 as Baroness Davies of Devonport, with her nomination coming from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch (BBC News (UK broadcaster)).
• The BBC reported that her sporting accomplishments and advocacy for women’s rights were cited as reasons for her appointment.
• She sits as a crossbench peer, meaning she is not aligned with any party in the Lords, though her peerage was recommended by a Conservative leader.

The implication: Davies’s move to the Lords formalizes a transition from athlete-activist to legislator, giving her a parliamentary platform for the causes she has championed for decades.

Is Sharron Davies in a relationship?

Past marriage to Derek Redmond

• Davies married British athlete Derek Redmond in 1990. Redmond is best known for finishing the 400m at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics with a torn hamstring, helped by his father.
• The marriage ended in divorce in 1995 (Sharron Davies official biography).
• Redmond remarried in 2002.

Current relationship status (publicly known)

• As of 2025, no widely reported current romantic partner is associated with Davies.
• She has stated in interviews that she is focused on her career and family.

The pattern: Davies keeps her private life private — no public relationships have been confirmed since her divorce, and her public profile centers on her work, not her personal life.

Has Sharron Davies got children?

Names and ages of her children

• Davies has two children: a daughter named Ella and a son (Sharron Davies official biography).
• Exact birth dates have not been widely published, but her children are now adults.

Public mentions of her daughter Ella

• Ella has appeared with Davies at some public events, though Davies generally keeps her children out of the media spotlight.

Why this matters: Like many public figures, Davies maintains a boundary around her family — her children are part of her biography but not part of her public advocacy.

“A longtime advocate and campaigner for women in sport.”

What is Sharron Davies political views?

Her stance on women’s sports and transgender athletes

• Davies is known for advocating for women’s sports and sex-based rights. She has argued that allowing transgender women to compete in female events harms women’s sport (BBC News (UK broadcaster)).
• In April 2024, she criticized trans runner CeCe Telfer’s participation in a women’s race, calling it “simply cheating” (New York Post (US newspaper)).
• She has backed motions calling for women-only categories in sport (Holyrood (Scottish politics magazine)).

Party affiliation and House of Lords alignment

• A 2024 Cherwell article reports that Davies has supported the Conservative Party and endorsed Kemi Badenoch in the 2022 leadership election (Cherwell (Oxford University student newspaper)).
• Despite her peerage being recommended by a Conservative leader, she sits as a crossbencher in the House of Lords.
• Her peerage was recommended by the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

The catch: Davies occupies the unusual position of a Conservative-nominated peer who sits as a crossbencher — giving her independence from party whips while maintaining political connections to the right.

Is Sharron Davies still married to Derek Redmond?

Timeline of their marriage and divorce

• Married: 1990.
• Divorced: 1995 (Sharron Davies official biography).
• Derek Redmond remarried in 2002.

Subsequent relationships

• No public information indicates Davies has remarried or been in a long-term publicly acknowledged relationship since the divorce.

The pattern: The marriage to Redmond was brief — five years — and both have moved on professionally and personally without public drama.

What is Sharron Davies net worth?

Estimated net worth from swimming career

• Exact net worth is not publicly verified, as Davies has not disclosed financial details.
• Estimates from sources place it in the range of £1–5 million.

Income from media and public speaking

• Davies has supplemented her swimming income through media work, public speaking, and her personal brand including fitness and product lines.
• She is the author of “Unfair Play,” a book about fairness in women’s sport.

The trade-off: Without official disclosure, net worth figures remain speculative — but her diversified income streams (speaking, books, media, and now a parliamentary allowance) suggest financial stability beyond her athletic career.

Timeline

• 1962: Born in Plymouth, England (Olympedia (Olympic database)).
• 1976: First Olympic appearance (Montreal) at age 13.
• 1980: Won silver medal at Moscow Olympics; awarded MBE (Olympedia).
• 1990: Married Derek Redmond.
• 1992: Competed in Barcelona Olympics (final Olympics).
• 1995: Divorced Derek Redmond.
• 2024: Appointed life peer as Baroness Davies of Devonport (BBC News).

The pattern across seven decades: Davies has reinvented herself three times — from teenage Olympian to silver medalist and MBE recipient, then to advocate and author, and now to legislator in the House of Lords.

For a deeper look at her early career and advocacy work, see the biography of Sharron Davies.

Frequently asked questions

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