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Alchemy is a complex subject but most people can recall the quest of the philosophers' stone to change base metals into gold. As it turns out, Dame Tanni has spent much of her life turning her own sweat and tears into gold.
Alchemists sometimes represented the element gold by the symbol for the sun. For the alchemist, gold symbolized physical, mental, and spiritual perfection – all attributes of a great athlete.
The alchemist symbol for the sun was therefore a logical start point for the development of Dame Tanni’s logo.
The solid gold centre circle in Dame Tanni’s logo represents her gold medals. The outer circle is formed by two sweeping ‘Tae-Geuks’ which symbolise significant components of the human being: ‘Body’ and ‘Spirit’. These come together much like ‘yin’ and yang’ representing balance and harmony.
The entire logo is reminiscent of the wheel of a racing wheelchair in motion. This represents Dame Tanni’s forward thinking, particularly with respect to her promotion of disability sport and disabled people in main stream life.
Alongside this logo, you will often see the strap line, ‘pure gold’. There is an obvious link to Dame Tanni’s medal winning prowess but there is also a wider meaning: to her fans she is a treasure; as an individual she is cherished by many; to the public and private sectors her work has a great social and economic value.
As an inspiration both on and off the track, she has earned her place in sporting history and in our hearts. Dame Tanni is indeed, ‘pure gold’!
