Rachel Cawthorn

Sport: Canoeing

Nation: Great Britain

DOB: March 11, 1988

Hometown: Maidenhead

Career Highlights: British flatwater kayaker Rachel Cawthorn will be a contender for a medal on the water at London 2012. The 23-year-old came to the sport late, starting flatwater kayaking at the age of 15. In 2012 she was rewarded with lottery funding for her performances in the sport. Grasping the opportunity with both hands, Cawthorn went into the 2010 European Championships as an underdog, but triumphed in the 1000m to take gold. Later in the same year she became the first British woman to medal at a World Championships when she took bronze in the 500m. Illness saw Cawthorn miss four months of training in 2011, but her performances in the World Championships saw her seal a qualification place for the London Olympics – although she did miss out on a medal. The Dorney venue promises to be a lucrative one for Team GB, and Cawthorn will have a strong chance of a podium place in the 500m.

Olympic History: None