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8 April 2009
Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell, who finished fifth in the SKUD 18 sailing class at last year’s Paralympic Games in Beijing, have joined Be Number 1 and are already gunning for gold at the London 2012 Paralympics.
“We are really thrilled to have teamed up with Be Number 1,” said Rickham, the 27-year-old helm from Surrey. “Niki and I were put together in November 2007 by the RYA as a fast-track team for Beijing selection and we managed a fifth-place finish in China, where things didn’t necessarily go our way.
“After a whirlwind year filled with highs and lows, we are now kicking off our campaign for gold on home soil in 2012. I have moved to helm to give Niki a chance to really get his teeth into tactics and so far our score sheet is a gold medal and two bronzes in our winter regattas against the top teams. Our major aim for 2009 is to win a medal at the World Championships in Athens. And hopefully it will be a gold medal.”
Rickham is a C5/6 tetraplegic, following a diving accident in Jamaica in 1995. Prior to her accident, she was an avid sportsperson at school, club and national level. Since her accident, she has tried various sports, including tennis, wheelchair rugby and skiing – and, of course, sailing. She is an avid environmentalist and has an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College, London.
Birrell, the 22-year-old crew from Cheshire, was born with cerebral palsy. He started sailing at the age of nine and used to compete with his younger brother, Christian – and with some success, too. For the pair became British and European junior Mirror champions (and also trained with the Olympic development squad) before university commitments meant that the partnership was broken up. Birrell gained a 2:1 in Business and Management Studies from Salford University. |
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As a member of Be Number 1, as well as giving financial support to a British athlete, you can show the world what a great sportsperson you are via your own B#1 Sports Page.
Each member is given a page on the Be Number 1 web site where you can show your own sporting highlights in the shape of blogs, photo galleries and video clips.
We’d like this to be very much sports, health and fitness orientated, so perhaps a bit different from other places on the internet where you can post. The most interesting Sports Page each month will be featured on the Be Number 1 Home page – so pick an athlete, sign up and get posting.
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