{{short description|British Paralympic rower}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}} {{MedalTableTop|}} {{MedalCountry | {{GBR2}}}} {{MedalSport | Paralympic rowing}} {{MedalCompetition|Summer Paralympic Games}} {{MedalGold | 2008 Beijing | Women's single sculls}} {{MedalBottom}} '''Helene Raynsford''' (born 1979) is a British rower who competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics.

She trained at Elmhurst Ballet School before an injury ended her chances of becoming a professional dancer. At university Raynsford studied biochemistry but a head injury at the age of 21 left her needing the use of a wheelchair.<ref name=Kidd>{{cite news|last=Kidd|first=Patrick|title=Beijing dream burns bright for Helene Raynsford|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/article3471433.ece|access-date=23 April 2011|newspaper=The Times|date=3 March 2008|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505143327/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/article3471433.ece|archive-date=5 May 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Helene completed a degree at Royal Holloway and is now undertaking a masters in neuroscience. She has returned to Royal Holloway as a guest speaker. Before taking up rowing Helene was a member of the Great Britain wheelchair basketball team from 2003 until 2006 and won two Paralympic Cup silver medals in the sport.<ref name=Times>{{cite web|title=Helene Raynsford|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/newspapers/article4261393.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230522234036/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/newspapers/article4261393.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 May 2023|publisher=Times Online|access-date=23 April 2011|date=4 July 2008}}</ref>

==Rowing== Raynsford took up rowing after visiting Dorney Lake in 2005, before going on to join Guildford Rowing Club, where much of her early training was undertaken. She first competed in the national championships in 2005. In May 2006 she posted a qualifying time that earned her entry to the World Championships but her preparations were disrupted by a car accident that left her ribs and stomach badly bruised. Despite this she went on to win her heat and then the final to become world champion in the arms-only single sculls. At the 2007 World Championships she suffered an asthma attack on the first day of the competition and finished fifth in the final. This qualified her for the 2008 Paralympics.<ref name=Kidd/>

At the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China, rowing made its debut appearance at the Games. Raynsford became the first ever Paralympic champion in the sport, winning the women's single sculls by a 12-second margin in a time of 6 minutes 12.93 seconds.<ref name="GB Rowing">{{cite news |title=Britons in historic rowing double |publisher=BBC Sport |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/7609908.stm |date=11 September 2008 |access-date=23 April 2011}}</ref>

In April 2010 Raynsford announced her retirement from rowing due to a cardiac problem.<ref>{{cite web|title=Paralympic champion rower Helene Raynsford retires|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/8611580.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=23 April 2011|date=9 April 2010}}</ref> Following a change in her drug regime and surgery she returned to the sport and after winning the British trials was named to the British team for the 2010 World Championships in New Zealand.<ref>{{cite news|last=Quarrell|first=Rachel |title=Great Britain rowing champion Helene Raynsford comes out of retirement |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/rowing/8017072/Great-Britain-rowing-champion-Helene-Raynsford-comes-out-of-retirement.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101009000206/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/rowing/8017072/Great-Britain-rowing-champion-Helene-Raynsford-comes-out-of-retirement.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 October 2010|access-date=23 April 2011|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=21 September 2010}}</ref>

Raynsford was appointed to UK Anti-Doping's newly formed Athlete's Committee along with Paralympic swimmer Graham Edmunds, football player Clarke Carlisle and former England rugby union captain, Martin Corry.<ref>{{cite web|title=Paralympians appointed to Athlete Committee for UKAD |url=http://www.paralympics.org.uk/show_news.asp?itemid=3236&itemTitle=Paralympians+appointed+to+Athlete+Committee+for+UKAD&section=000100010006&sectionTitle=News |publisher=British Paralympic Association |access-date=23 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927041916/http://www.paralympics.org.uk/show_news.asp?itemid=3236&itemTitle=Paralympians%2Bappointed%2Bto%2BAthlete%2BCommittee%2Bfor%2BUKAD&section=000100010006&sectionTitle=News |archive-date=27 September 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=UK Anti-Doping's newly formed Athlete Committee provides advice on all matters of anti-doping|url=http://www.ukad.org.uk/pages/athlete-committee/|publisher=UKAD|access-date=23 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110309112351/http://www.ukad.org.uk/pages/athlete-committee/|archive-date=9 March 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raynsford, Helene}} Category:Alumni of Royal Holloway, University of London Category:English female rowers Category:Paralympic rowers for Great Britain Category:People educated at the Elmhurst School for Dance Category:Rowers at the 2008 Summer Paralympics Category:Paralympic gold medalists for Great Britain Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Paralympics Category:Paralympic medalists in rowing Category:21st-century English sportswomen