# Nick Beighton > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nick_Beighton > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nick_Beighton.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Beighton > Source revision: 1339914011 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Nicholas Beighton** (born 29 September 1981) is a [British](/source/British_people) paracanoeist and former [British Army](/source/British_Army) officer. Beighton took up rowing as part of the rehabilitation programme after losing his legs during active service. He competed in the mixed scull with partner [Samantha Scowen](/source/Sam_Scowen) at the [2012 Summer Paralympics](/source/2012_Summer_Paralympics) in London. He subsequently switched to the paracanoe discipline and won the bronze medal in the [Men's KL2](/source/Paracanoeing_at_the_2016_Summer_Paralympics) [canoe sprint](/source/Canoe_sprint) at the [2016 Summer Paralympics](/source/2016_Summer_Paralympics) in Rio de Janeiro. ## Early life and education Beighton was born in [Stockport](/source/Stockport), England in 1981. At the age of seven his family moved to [Shrewsbury](/source/Shrewsbury) where he attended [Meole Brace School](/source/Meole_Brace_School) and later [Shrewsbury Sixth Form College](/source/Shrewsbury_Sixth_Form_College) before matriculating to [Sheffield University](/source/Sheffield_University).[3] ## Career ### Military service Beighton joined the [British Army](/source/British_Army) and undertook his [officer training](/source/Officer_training) at the [Royal Military Academy Sandhurst](/source/Royal_Military_Academy_Sandhurst). On 16 December 2000, he was [commissioned](/source/Commissioned_officer) into the [Royal Engineers](/source/Royal_Engineers) as a [lieutenant](/source/Lieutenant_(British_Army_and_Royal_Marines)) with seniority from 13 December 2005.[4] He was promoted to [captain](/source/Captain_(British_Army_and_Royal_Marines)) on 16 June 2009.[5][6] In October 2009, while on patrol in [Helmand Province](/source/Helmand_Province) in Afghanistan, Beighton stood on an improvised explosive device.[7] His life was saved by an Army Medic, who kept him stable before being taken to medical facilities in [Camp Bastion](/source/Camp_Bastion).[3] Beighton was placed in a medically induced coma and required 36 pints of blood during his initial treatment.[7] Although his life was saved he lost both his legs in the attack.[8] ### Sporting career In February 2010, Beighton attended a Paralympic talent identification day at [Brunel University](/source/Brunel_University). It was there that he became aware that the British Paralympic squad were looking for a male Trunk and Arms rower.[6] He first [sculled](/source/Scull) in July 2010 at Guildford Rowing Club as part of the rehabilitation programme at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre.[8] In April 2011, Beighton joined the Great Britain rowing team, and in May he was paired with [Sam Scowen](/source/Sam_Scowen) in the TA mixed Double Scull at the world cup in Munich.[7][9] They finished third to take the bronze. In August, Beighton travelled to [Slovenia](/source/Slovenia) to compete in the [2011 World Rowing Championships](/source/2011_World_Rowing_Championships), where he and Scowen finished 6th.[7] In 2011, Beighton and Scowen were the first rowers to qualify for the [2012 Summer Paralympics](/source/2012_Summer_Paralympics) in London.[10] They finished fourth at the London 2012 Paralympics, on the losing end of a [photo finish](/source/Photo_finish) for the bronze medal. Beighton subsequently became a member of the British paracanoe squad and competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro[11] where he won the bronze medal in the Men's KL2 canoe sprint.[1] ## References 1. ["Men's KL2 Final"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160922221316/https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/canoe-sprint-mens-kl2-final). *Rio2016*. 15 September 2016. Archived from [the original](https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/canoe-sprint-mens-kl2-final) on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016. 1. ["Four medals for GB Rowing Team Paralympic class boats in Munich"](https://www.britishrowing.org/2011/05/four-medals-for-gb-rowing-team-paralympic-class-boats-in-munich/). *British Rowing*. 28 May 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2016. 1. ["Shropshire Life"](http://shropshire.greatbritishlife.co.uk/article/olympics-countdown-paralympic-soldier-nick-beightons-incredible-story-38618/). greatbritishlife.co.uk. 19 August 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2012. 1. No. 58245. 13 February 2007. p. 2077. 1. No. 59185. 15 September 2009. p. 15806. 1. ["Nick Beighton"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120829013658/http://www.paralympics.org.uk/gb/athletes/nick-beighton). paralympics.org.uk. Archived from [the original](http://www.paralympics.org.uk/gb/athletes/nick-beighton) on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2012. 1. ["Beighton to fulfil Paralympic dream"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120819101716/http://sport.uk.msn.com/paralympics2012/beighton-to-fulfil-paralympic-dream-1). MSN. 19 August 2012. Archived from [the original](http://sport.uk.msn.com/paralympics2012/beighton-to-fulfil-paralympic-dream-1) on 19 August 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2012. 1. ["Paralympian who lost legs in blast 'driven' by injuries"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19337459). BBC. 22 August 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2012. 1. ["Aggar wins Munich heat as Scowen and Beighton make double scull world cup debut"](https://web.archive.org/web/20131021032009/http://www.britishrowing.org/news/2011/may/26/aggar-wins-munich-heat-scowen-and-beighton-make-double-scull-world-cup-debut). britishrowing.org. 26 May 2011. Archived from [the original](http://www.britishrowing.org/news/2011/may/26/aggar-wins-munich-heat-scowen-and-beighton-make-double-scull-world-cup-debut) on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2012. 1. ["Wounded Shropshire soldier aims for Paralympic glory"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-14736338). BBC. 31 August 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2012. 1. Mark Shardlow (25 May 2016). ["Paralympics 2016: Para-canoeist Nick Beighton embraces his new life"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/get-inspired/36360947). [BBC](/source/BBC). Retrieved 26 May 2016. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Nick Beighton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Beighton) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Beighton?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.