paralympic athlete Olivia Breen and TV presenter and disability rights campaigner Sophie Morgan have become ambassadors of Leonard Cheshire.

The announcement came on International Women’s Day.

As ambassadors, Olivia and Sophie will be instrumental in helping the international charity reach new audiences and spread awareness about its campaigns and programmes.

Leonard Cheshire supports individuals to live, learn and work as independently as they choose.

Liphook Paralympian Olivia began training at the City of Portsmouth Club at the age of 12, where her athletic skills quickly became apparent.

A talented sprinter and long jumper, Olivia is the current IPC world champion for the T38 long jump.

In the Commonwealth Games in Australia last year, Olivia claimed gold for Wales with both a Games record and personal best in the long jump in her class.

Olivia said: "I am so excited to have become a new ambassador.

"The charity’s hashtag Actually, I can resonates with me as my independence is something which has always been very important to me.

"I really respect the aims and values of Leonard Cheshire, trying to help people live as independently as possible."

On the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, #BalanceForBetter, Olivia added: "As a disabled woman, I think it’s really important we all work hard to make sure our world is balanced to give everyone equal opportunities, and that we continue the great work which has already been done to eliminate all forms of discrimination and prejudice."

Sophie Morgan led Channel 4’s 2016 Paralympic coverage in Rio.

Her television career also includes hard-hitting reporting such as the 2015 BBC Three documentary The World’s Worst Place to Be Disabled, which depicted the abuse of human rights suffered by disabled people in Ghana.

As a steadfast advocate for accessible education, Sophie has already been supporting Leonard Cheshire with its international work, in January fronting a month-long BBC Radio 4 appeal for inclusive education in Zambia.

Kate Burt, executive director for marketing and fundraising at Leonard Cheshire, added: "We’re delighted to have Olivia and Sophie on board as ambassadors. Passionate, pioneering and inspirational individuals with experience of disability are invaluable champions for inclusion and we look forward to the impact they will have."