Recalling that fateful race, Challis says, "My dad said he’d give me £10 if I won the race! Running was always what I wanted to do, so I thought it was quite cool," she revealed to Daily Mail journalist David Coverdale in an exclusive interview.

"I was the youngest child to have blades because they didn’t make them for children. Now it is normal, so it was nice to be a part of that." Pistorius, then a global figure in Paralympic sport, let Challis win that day, and the image of them together became one of his most cherished, even appearing as his profile picture on Twitter, now X.

Though when Pistorius' life took a dark turn after he fatally shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013, the media spotlight turned towards Challis. The little girl who once looked up to Pistorius was suddenly thrust into the global conversation. "Yes, it was bad," she reflected. "Everyone wanted to know my opinion. I was too young at the time, so my parents had to deal with it. They tried to just ignore everyone to protect me."

The photo of Pistorius and Challis, taken by the Daily Mail's Andy Hooper, captured a poignant moment in sports history. Fifteen years later, Hooper is again behind the lens, this time focusing solely on Challis as she prepares for her next big challenge: the Paris Paralympics.

Challis’ journey is extraordinary, independent of her early connection with Pistorius. At just 16 months old, she contracted meningitis and was given a mere five percent chance of survival. She even flatlined for two minutes when her heart stopped. "I always tell everyone that, it’s my little fun fact," Challis continued to Coverdale. "But it sounds a bit scary. I was in a coma for three weeks and I needed surgery. I was very lucky."

Though she survived, Challis underwent life-saving amputations, her legs above the knee and her arms below the elbow. After 17 more days in the hospital, she returned home, where her father, Paul, became her full-time caregiver. By the age of three, Challis had her first set of prosthetic legs, thanks to the support of her community. She quickly embraced an active lifestyle, running and playing football with her friends.

Her passion for swimming was ignited by the movie Dolphin Tale, which tells the true story of a dolphin named Winter who lost her tail and learned to swim with a prosthetic. "I was learning to swim at the time, so that was one of the things that made everything seem possible," she says. "We watched it and thought it was a fictional story, then it said at the end it was true. We just knew we had to go to America to meet Winter. I have gone a few times and we still have a great connection with the aquarium in Florida."

The London 2012 Paralympics further fuelled Challis' aspirations. She witnessed the electric atmosphere in the stadium, where para sport took centre stage. Watching Ellie Simmonds win four medals on TV had a particularly profound impact. "It was the first time I’d seen her swim on TV," Challis says. "Ellie has been a big inspiration for pretty much every para swimmer around the world. Without her in 2012, I don’t think para swimming would be as big as it is now. I met her for the first time in 2018 and got a picture with her. I talk to her quite a lot still and she is very supportive of me."

Challis made her mark at just 13, breaking a 13-year-old British record, and two years later, setting a new world record in the SB2 50 metres breaststroke. By 17, she was the youngest member of ParalympicsGB's squad at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, where she won silver in the S3 50m backstroke and placed fourth in the 100m freestyle. 

"Tokyo was a dream come true, not just winning the medal, but the whole experience," she says. Her performance earned her a nomination for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award, alongside football sensation Jude Bellingham and skateboarder Sky Brown. Outside the pool, Challis has cultivated a diverse set of skills. A qualified baker, she has studied patisserie and confectionery in Manchester while training full-time. She's also a talented snowboarder, making history as the first British quadruple amputee to take up the sport at age 14.

"It’s the opposite to swimming, which is why I love it. I’m really glad I have the support from Aquatics GB to do it. It’s another form of physio for me, because from sitting in my chair, I struggle with my hips being really tight. At the moment it’s just a hobby, but it’s one of my favourite things to do and I improve every week. Who knows what I will do after swimming? Nobody has ever gone on to do snowboarding. We will see."

Challis remains focused on her swimming career. With 10 world championship medals under her belt, including three golds, she is determined to capture her first Paralympic title in Paris. "I have improved massively and there is more to come," she says confidently. "I learnt a lot from Tokyo. I experienced so many new things, so I was happy with how I raced there. But going into Paris I know a lot more of what to expect. I am hoping to come away with two medals."

As the only British swimmer in Paris competing in a classification lower than S5, Challis’ mission goes beyond personal success. She is passionate about inspiring other young amputees to take up swimming. "I am the only one in the UK in a lower class," she explained to the Daily Mail. "It would be nice if I can get people to realise what swimming can do for you and your body, how much it can help you, and fill those lower classes more. These people are out there, they just don’t know it."

Ellie Challis' story is not just one of overcoming adversity but of leading a new wave of inspiration for future generations. As she heads to Paris, all eyes will be on the Paralympic star who once raced Pistorius, but who is now firmly focused on her own path to greatness.