Joanne Rout

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Joanne Rout (born Joanne Round) is a retired British Paralympic swimmer. She was born on 31 October 1975 in Bishop Auckland, England, and has a missing left arm below the elbow. She moved with her family to Royal Tunbridge Wells as a child and swam with Monson Swimming Club.

At the 1988 Seoul Paralympics, 12-year-old Joanne was the youngest British athlete. She competed in many events and won two gold medals in the relay races, setting world records with her teammates. She also won three silver medals in individual events. She swam in the A8 classification and by June 1988 held 19 national records.

After her swimming career, Joanne became a qualified swimming teacher and volunteers at Beacon Swimming Club. The Tunbridge Wells Borough Council gave her a Civic Medallion in recognition of her Seoul achievements. In 2012 she was a London Olympic Torchbearer, carrying the flame through her hometown of Crowborough.