Paralympian Calls Fortnum & Mason Party Omission “Hurtful”

Paralympic athletes have voiced criticism regarding Fortnum & Mason’s choice to host a gathering for Olympians while omitting invitations for any Paralympic competitors. Although medallists from both Team GB and Paralympics GB were present at a Buckingham Palace reception on Thursday, Paralympic athletes did not receive invitations to an after-party organized by the upscale department store. Zac Shaw, a visually impaired Paralympic sprinter, described the situation as “hurtful” and indicated it reflected a “wider issue” concerning the treatment of disabled athletes. Fortnum & Mason issued an apology for the “mistake,” stating that a distinct event for Paralympians was in the process of being arranged. “It’s a sad reality that we always have to fight for equality,” Shaw, 29, commented. He added, “The thing that hurt the most was that we were both at the palace at the same time so it wasn’t a case of us being at different locations. It was one event and we didn’t get invited.” Shaw, who secured a silver medal in the mixed 4x100m and a bronze in the 100m T12 in Paris, recounted discovering the exclusion when a Team GB friend inquired if he required transportation to the after-party. Following a search of their emails, Shaw and his partner, Ali Smith, also a Paralympic sprinter, confirmed they had not received an invitation. After attempting to contact Fortnum & Mason on two occasions within 24 hours without a reply, he chose to share his experience publicly on X. He stated that representatives from the London upmarket department store contacted him via message after his post garnered significant attention. Fortnum & Mason subsequently sent a private message to Smith, indicating that a “separate reception for Paralympians in the works” would be announced shortly. The store expressed regret for the “failure of communication.” The message stated: “We are really sorry that we could not do both of the planned parties together, which would have been our preference, but we are restricted on space and simply could not have fitted everyone in at the same time.” However, Shaw characterized the response as appearing “reactionary” and stated it “very much reads as an excuse.” He remarked, “It doesn’t seem like it was even thought of until there was a backlash.” He further commented, “If they had wanted to do an event for us, we would have known about it before. And if they really wanted us there, the venue could have been bigger.” Shaw also pointed out that organizing a separate event at a subsequent time failed to consider the travel challenges many disabled athletes face when coming to London. He stated, “Accessibility is difficult for people with disabilities and it’s just ignorant and upsetting that they even had the thought to do it after. “And in this situation, even if you only have room for a certain number of athletes, why would you not prioritise the ones with accessibility needs?” Shaw asserted that this incident was indicative of a “wider issue” regarding the differential treatment of disabled athletes in sports. He questioned, “Why is it Team GB and Paralympics GB? Why don’t we compete under the same name like Team France did at the Olympics/Paralympics? And why were we at Buckingham Palace in tracksuits, when the Olympians were provided suits?” He mentioned that Paralympic athletes received instructions to wear tracksuits and trainers to the reception hosted by the King, whereas Team GB athletes were supplied with “fresh suits.” He further commented, “And that just made the Buckingham Palace experience feel a bit strange.” He reported that when he inquired about the dress code and expressed a desire to wear a suit, his query was met with silence. He continued, “You have situations like this so frequently, whether it’s brands or funding.” He added, “The Paralympics are amazing but they happen once every four years and in between brands don’t show the same support to disabled athletes, which speaks volumes about the culture.” Archie Atkinson, a Paralympics GB silver medallist in cycling in Paris, stated he was informed that suits were not provided to the Paralympic squad for their meeting with the King due to “environmental reasons.” The 20-year-old mentioned telling the head of Paralympics GB that he considered it “disrespectful” for Paralympic athletes to attend Buckingham Palace in tracksuits, which he felt was “making us stand out and feel inferior to the Olympic athletes were were dressed smartly.” He informed the BBC, “Lots of athletes complained or joined in with wearing suits to say not gonna be made to look lower then the Olympic athletes.” He recounted wearing a suit to meet the King and subsequently gaining entry to the Fortnum & Mason party with some of his Team GB friends, who, he noted, found it “shocking” that no event was arranged for Paralympic athletes. In a statement, Fortnum & Mason declared: “We entered into this with good intentions but recognise that we have made a mistake here for which we fully apologise.” The statement continued, “We have been planning for, and of course will be honoured to host, a ParalympicsGB 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.” However, Shaw indicated that his attendance at such an event was improbable. He stated, “The day’s been and gone.” He added, “It doesn’t feel right that this has come on by pity and like I said it’s not easy for people with disabilities to travel and I think it’s unfair they’d even ask us to do that.” The British Olympic Association and The British Paralympic Association have been contacted for their comments.