Shelley Newman

{{short description|English discus thrower}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Use British English|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| headercolor =

| name = Shelley Newman/Parr (née Drew)

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| nationality = British (English)

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|8|8|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Carshalton, London, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| sport = Athletics

| event = discus throw

| height = 182 cm

| weight = 87 kg

| club = Belgrave Harriers

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport | Athletics}}

{{MedalCountry | {{ENG}} }}

{{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}}

{{MedalBronze| 2002 Manchester | discus}}

}}

Shelley Jean Newman, now Parr and (née Drew), (born 8 August 1973) is a female retired discus thrower from England and competed for Great Britain at the 2004 Summer Olympics.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/we/bob-weir-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418025400/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/we/bob-weir-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-04-18|title=Olympic Profile|website=Sports Reference}}

Athletics career

Born in Carshalton, London, her personal best throw is 61.22 metres, achieved in June 2003 in Loughborough. This was the English record for many years and at the time and placed her fourth on the British outdoor all-time list, behind Meg Ritchie, Venissa Head and Philippa Roles.[http://www.gbrathletics.com/uk/wf99.htm UK All-Time Lists: Women - Throws] - GBR Athletics She represented England in the discus event, at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/kuala-lumpur-1998/athletes|title=1998 Athletes|website=Team England}}{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/games/3044/19/all|title=England team in 1998|website=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=18 January 2020|archive-date=30 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330125318/https://thecgf.com/results/games/3044/19/all|url-status=dead}} Four years later she won a bronze medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/41047|title=Athletes and results|website=Commonwealth Games Federation}}

Drew was six-times British discus throw champion after winning the UK Championship in 1997 and the British AAA Championships title in 1998, 1999, 2000,{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000578/20000814/516/0027 |title=Athletics |work=Aberdeen Press and Journal |date=14 August 2000 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=4 April 2025}} 2001{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/waaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (women) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=1 April 2025 }} and 2003 (the last as Shelley Newman).{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=1 April 2025}}{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000578/20030728/590/0027 |title=Athletics |work=Aberdeen Press and Journal |date=28 July 2003 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=6 April 2025}}

Personal life

Shelley has a degree in physiology, which she gained at the University of Birmingham in 1994. She earned her doctorate in the subject in 1999 and became a Professorial Fellow in Medical Education in 2016. She currently works as the Director of the Centre for Higher Education Practice at the University of Southampton. Previously she held posts at the University of Birmingham and, until 2007, Cardiff University.

International competitions

References