Blesma duo going for Para-Canoe World Champs

Two Blesma Members are hoping to paddle to Paralympics glory for Great Britain.

Nick Beighton and Nikki Paterson are subjecting themselves to grueling sessions on the water and in the gym as they prepare for a kayak sprint to Rio.

They have both been selected for the star-studded GB squad competing at the Paracanoe World Championships in Italy later this month, which is a qualifying event for the 2016 Paralympics.

Nick, 33, a former Royal Engineers Captain, and 26-year-old Nikki, an ex REME mechanic, are competing in sprint events at the championships held over three days in Milan.

Blesma caught up with the pair during a training session with  GB Canoeing coaches at the National Water Sports Centre, at Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham.

“There is a lot of training involved as you can imagine but we’re all putting in the hours and really looking forward to the championships,” said Nick, who narrowly missed out on an adaptive rowing medal at London 2012.

He switched to canoeing 18 months ago, then into a kayak nine months ago and achieved a top six finish in his first competitive race at the European Championships earlier this year.

“They ruled that the canoe was not eligible for the Paralympics so I moved across to kayak which was effectively like starting again,” added Nick, a double amputee, who was injured by an IED in Afghanistan in 2009. “I upped my training because I had a lot to learn technically so I was doing three days a week through the summer and have ramped it up for the World Champs.”

He spends four days on the water with another two days of gym and cardiovascular work near his home in Shrewsbury.

Nikki, from Manchester, has made a remarkable progression through the paracanoe ranks after attending a Paralympics Talent ID say. She is now part of GB’s powerhouse women’s sprint squad.

“I started in the sprint boat at the end of 2014 and in that 18 months I’ve had two major surgeries,” said Nikki, who had a through-knee amputation of her right leg after a motorbike accident while on leave in 2010.

“It was brilliant to get selection for the GB squad and it makes all that hard work worthwhile. We have a great squad and we push each other and it is unreal to part of such a great set-up. I didn’t it would be possible.”

She also trains six days a week with her three ‘water’ days featuring double sessions.

The Blesma pair are now fine-tuning their technique and boat fitness for the most important races of their lives.

The Canoe Sprint World Championships are from 19-23 August in Milan. To follow Team GB's progress, go to: http://www.milanworldcanoesprint.com/en/