Georgina Megan Brayshaw (born 14 October 1993) is a British professional rower and a member of the Great Britain Rowing Team. She is a double European champion, World champion and Olympic gold medallist.[1] Her story has had notable attention due to her characteristic resilience and determination, transforming a life-altering accident into a platform for athletic excellence.
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| Born | 14 October 1993 Leeds, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | Great Britain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Rowing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Serious Accident
editAt the age of 15, Georgina was involved in a serious horse-riding accident [2] that left her in a coma for nine days and resulted in paralysis on her left side. The accident occurred while she was galloping through a field, and she has no memory of the incident itself. Despite the severity of her injuries, which required her to relearn how to use the left side of her body, Georgina regained most bodily functions after a year and fueled her characteristic resilient attitude. "I just love proving people wrong" [3] has since become her catchphrase and went on to drive her athletic aspirations.
Career
editOutset
editOriginally from Leeds, Brayshaw's introduction to rowing came during her second year at the University of Northampton. Despite not initially making the cut for the GB Start project, she continued to pursue the sport, joining Leeds Rowing Club after graduation and eventually securing a place in the GB Start Olympic Pathway Programme in 2014. Georgina quickly showed an aptitude for the sport and began climbing the ranks,[4] moving to Leander Club[5] in 2017, and joining the British Rowing Women's Squad [6] in 2020.
Major Competitions
editBrayshaw won her first major gold medal in the quadruple sculls at the 2022 European Rowing Championships[7] in Munich, Germany.
At the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, she won the World Championship gold medal in the Stroke (position) seat of the Quadruple sculls with Lauren Henry, Hannah Scott and Lola Anderson.[8] The same crew continued to win Gold's with the same crew for the 2024 European Rowing Championships in Szeged, Hungary and 2024 World Rowing Cup II in Lucerne, Switzerland.
At the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, Georgina and her team won Great Britain’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in the Women’s Quadruple Sculls boat class.[1]
Other Accolades
editIn February 2023, Brayshaw won the openweight women's single (W1X) category of GB Rowing open senior trials[9] in Boston Lincolnshire. As a result she was ranked no.1 senior women's team at this time.
Georgina currently holds the world record for the 5 km distance on the RP3 rowing machine[10] (Female, Open Category, Open Weight)
Major Achievements
edit- 2024
- 1st - Olympic Championships, Paris, France
- 1st - European Championships, Szeged, Hungary
- 1st - World Rowing Cup, Lucerne, Switzerland
- 2023
- 1st - World Championships, Belgrade, Serbia
- 3rd - European Championships, Bled, Slovenia
- 2nd - World Rowing Cup, Lucerne, Switzerland
- 2nd - World Rowing Cup, Varese, Italy
- 2022
- 3rd - World Championships, Racice, Czech Republic
- 1st - European Championships, Munich, Germany
- 2nd - World Rowing Cup, Lucerne, Switzerland.
Awards
editIn April 2024, Brayshaw was named Great Britain Rowing Team Women's Olympic Athlete of the Year [11]
References
edit- ^ a b "Team GB's women's quad boat roars back in rousing finish for stunning rowing gold". The Guardian. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ "Never give up: rider who was partially paralysed in a fall takes Olympic rowing gold". horseandhound.co.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ "I just love proving people wrong: Georgie Brayshaw, the rower who came out of a coma". theguardian.com. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ "Georgie Brayshaw - Team GB".
- ^ "Georgie Brayshaw - Leander Club".
- ^ "Georgie Brayshaw - British Rowing".
- ^ "Britain's rowing quad to take on the Worlds after European gold". The Northern Echo. 15 August 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
- ^ "Rowing - World Championships - 2023". The Sports.org. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- ^ "British Rowing Senior and U23 Selection Trials". britishrowing.org.
- ^ "RP3 WORLD RECORDS". rp3rowing.co.uk.
- ^ "2023 Season Awards presented to GB Rowing Team senior athletes". britishrowing.org. 9 April 2024.
External links
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