Charlotte Henshaw crowned champion at Paracanoe World Championships just days after being admitted to hospital
Mansfield’s Charlotte Henshaw is a world champion once again after taking the title at the Paracanoe World Championships in Poland.
Team GB captain Henshaw raced to the title of the best in the world in the women’s KL2 200m just 10 days after being hospitalised with cellulitis.
It represented a remarkable turnaround from the three-time Paralympic gold medallist who was unsure if she would even make the start line in Poland.
But having claimed the KL2 200m world title seven times before, Henshaw made it an eighth as she finished in 48.32, three seconds ahead of the rest of the field.
“Of all the titles I’ve managed to win, that probably means the most because I did not know I was going to be here a week ago,” she said.
“There’s maybe something to be said for taking the pressure off and going out and trusting my body and my experience.
“I’ve been competing at the highest level for an awfully long time and in moments where things aren’t going well and the preparation gets swept out from underneath you, you have to draw on every single bit of experience.
“11 days ago, I didn’t think I would be on the plane so to come here and compete and then retain my title, I couldn’t be happier and it means a lot this one.”
It is the latest success in a remarable career for Henshaw who claimed her first Paralympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020 before adding two more for good measure four years later.
The Mansfield-born Paralympian started her career in the water as a swimmer but her gold medal success came after her decision to switch to paracanoeing.
Henshaw began her journey to Paralympic glory in the Nottinghamshire swimming development system. Her love for the water saw her first represent Great Britain at the age of 16, before going on to become a two-time European champion and medal at silver and bronze during the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games respectively.
During the postponed 2020 Games in Tokyo, Henshaw won her first ever Paralympic gold medal on 4 September 2021. Henshaw went on to not only defend her gold at the next Games in Paris, but make history as British paracanoeing’s first-ever double Paralympic champion as she added another gong to her cabinet.
Paris 2024 was a monumental tournament for Henshaw. After getting her gold rush underway by claiming the first ever VL3 crown, she went on to retain her title in the KL2 a day later.