Paralympian Cites Event Exclusion as Example of Persistent Inequality

Dan Pembroke, a para-athlete and the Paralympic and world T13 javelin champion, stated that Fortnum & Mason’s decision to host an event exclusively for Olympians, while not including Paralympians, exemplifies the inequality he faces “time after time”. Mr. Pembroke was among hundreds of Team GB medallists who attended a reception at Buckingham Palace on Thursday. The 33-year-old athlete, who hails from Hereford, expressed his belief that his fellow Paralympians had been “palmed off” by the retailer, which extended invitations solely to Olympians for an after-party event in London. Fortnum & Mason has since issued an apology for the “mistake,” announcing that a distinct event for Paralympians was in the process of being arranged. Mr. Pembroke, a gold medallist at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympics, described the omission as “unfair.” He stated, “Time and time again – this is the inequality that we notice as Paralympians.” He further elaborated, “We train as elite athletes. We should be recognised alongside the likes of Olympians.” He continued, “I’m used to it. It’s terrible to say but this is the state of what it is. I’d like to see it change but it just seems that we always get palmed off.” He questioned the decision, asking, “Why invite Olympians from an event – it was directly after going to the palace – and not mention anything about Paralympians?” In an official statement, Fortnum & Mason commented: “We entered into this with good intentions but recognise that we have made a mistake here for which we fully apologise.” The company added, “We have been planning for, and of course will be honoured to host, a Paralympics GB celebratory event at Fortnum’s and an invitation to do that has been made, but we do understand the hurt we have caused by not making our plans clear to the athletes earlier.” Mr. Pembroke indicated that he would decline to attend any potential future event, should one be organised, citing his demanding training schedule and the expenses associated with travelling from his residence. He explained, “I don’t have the big sponsorships that Olympians have – we just don’t get the publicity to be able to kind of get that money that we need to be travelling all the way around the country to be honest.”