Helen Reeves

Helen Reeves made history at the Athens Games in 2004 by winning bronze in a dramatic climax to the women's K1 kayak singles final - Great Britain's first ever women's Olympic canoeing medal.

Helen Reeves made history at the Athens Games in 2004 by winning bronze in a dramatic climax to the women's K1 kayak singles final - Great Britain's first ever women's Olympic canoeing medal.

SPORT BIO

Helen first became acquainted with canoeing at the age of 10 when her brother saw Paddles Up on the television and fancied giving it a go. After a few weeks of watching Helen gave it a try. She was taken to her first slalom where Helen won and was promoted to the next division - and she's never looked back since.

In 1996 Helen competed at the Junior World Championships in the Czech Republic and came away with a Gold Medal, a fantastic achievement. However over the next few years her training and competition was hampered by injuries and between 1998 and 2000 she had to undergo three shoulder operations. She missed out on the Olympic Games in Sydney, having to watch them from her armchair back home with her arm in a sling. This disapointment though only seemed to make Helen more determined to achieve and she knew that she had the ability to succed.

In 2002 and 2003 she won a bronze medal as part of the Ladies Team at the World Championships and by 2004 she was ranked 8th in the Overall World Cup Ranking.

2004 was her most succesful year. To start the year she was placed 5th in the World Cup Final and came 2nd in the UK Championships. Helen then went on to win the World Cup 2 in Spain and then claimed a bronze medal for Great Britain in the K1 kayak singles final. The 23 -year-old had initially finished outside of the medals in fourth but was pushed up the order after Peggy Dickens of France landed a further penalty.

SPECIALIST AREAS

Helen is a patron of the Youth Sport Trust and has the ability to inspire and motivate young people. She is a shining example of dedication and professionalism and is a perfect role model for youngsters.

Helen's experiences at the Olympics, her ability to persevere despite her injuries and her desire to achieve has meant that Helen has been able to speak to a number of corporate organisations and relate this to the business world.