Unbeaten in home waters

4:00pm Wednesday 6th August 2008

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A EUROPEAN champion canoeist from Kidderminster will take on the world at the Beijing Olympics.

Lucy Wainwright, 31, is the reigning European champion in the 200m flatwater canoe event – the first British woman to win a gold medal at a European championship.

She came 7th at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and hopes to improve on that this time round.

She said: “My recent success puts me in a good position to do well in Beijing.

“I took part in the Beijing Good Luck Games in 2007 so I have experience of the climate and the conditions.

“It kind of feels like everything’s building up to this and I want to make the most of it.”

Lucy lived in Kidderminster as a child and attended St Barnabas C of E School, Franche Middle School and Wolverley High School.

She moved away to Loughborough University, where she achieved a first class honours degree in sports science and physical education.

She started paddling at Fladbury Canoe Club, near Evesham, when she was 10 years old and raced at her first international regatta in Belgium a year later.

Since 2001, she has represented Great Britain in six World Championships and eight European Championships. In domestic regattas, she was unbeaten in singles events in 2007 and 2008.

She said winning an Olympic medal would outweigh all these achievements, however.

She explained: “It’s every athlete’s dream. I’ve been working towards this for the past four years and anything’s possible.

“My mum, dad, sister and husband are travelling out to support me, which will really help me and give me a boost.

“There aren’t many opportunities in this sport to take part in an event like the Olympics. It’s so special.”

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