Olympics 2012:
Paralympian sailor Helena Lucas
And sports-mad Helena Lucas has her heart set on securing selection to represent Great Britain on home waters in 2012.
The Paralympian got her first taste of the electric atmosphere of the Games in Athens as a reserve and finished seventh in Beijing so for her a Paralympic podium place is unfinished business.
Speaking from the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA), Helena, 35, said: “I came seventh in Beijing, and I was really disappointed with the result but I learned an awful lot from the mistakes I made.
“That’s what’s really driven me for this campaign to get it right and hopefully get on the podium.”
Helena, who is campaigning in the 2.4m keelboat class, was born without thumbs but adapted quickly as a child and said ‘I can’t think of anything I can’t actually do, you find your own little way.’ The 35-year-old, from Southampton, added: “I grew up through the Olympic classes and able-bodied sailing and knew very little about disabled sailing.
“When I first started I was amazed by how able everybody is.
“Guys in wheelchairs were getting in boats and I was impressed with how as soon as everybody gets on the water it’s almost like everyone’s disabilities disappear.”
Helena’s disability was the side effect of her mother taking a morning sickness pill during pregnancy but the positive athlete just feels ‘extremely lucky’ not to have been worse affected.
The ‘sport fanatic’ was in the hockey and netball team at school and also loves swimming, cycling, skiing and running.
Helena is pleased to have had the opportunity to familiarise herself with the ‘topsy turvy’ Games environment.
She said: “The difference between the Paralympics and a normal regatta is often the venues seem just massive, with a lot less athletes as there’s only one representative per country for each class.
“Plus, there’s increased publicity and you’re suddenly part of a much bigger team you’ve never been part of before.
“The sailing venues of Athens and Beijing were ridiculously large but WPNSA is just perfect, it’s a lot smaller but it’s absolutely spot on, last year at Sail for Gold, which was a big, big regatta there was still plenty of space on the slipway.”
Her biggest rival for selection is Portland’s Megan Pascoe.
She said: “The trials will probably come down between me and Meg; at the moment we’re training and working well together.
“We both realise the ultimate goal is a medal but when it comes to the trials we’ll have to go our separate ways and fight it out on the water.”
And sports-mad Helena Lucas has her heart set on securing selection to represent Great Britain on home waters in 2012.
The Paralympian got her first taste of the electric atmosphere of the Games in Athens as a reserve and finished seventh in Beijing so for her a Paralympic podium place is unfinished business.
Speaking from the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA), Helena, 35, said: “I came seventh in Beijing, and I was really disappointed with the result but I learned an awful lot from the mistakes I made.
“That’s what’s really driven me for this campaign to get it right and hopefully get on the podium.”
Helena, who is campaigning in the 2.4m keelboat class, was born without thumbs but adapted quickly as a child and said ‘I can’t think of anything I can’t actually do, you find your own little way.’ The 35-year-old, from Southampton, added: “I grew up through the Olympic classes and able-bodied sailing and knew very little about disabled sailing.
“When I first started I was amazed by how able everybody is.
“Guys in wheelchairs were getting in boats and I was impressed with how as soon as everybody gets on the water it’s almost like everyone’s disabilities disappear.”
Helena’s disability was the side effect of her mother taking a morning sickness pill during pregnancy but the positive athlete just feels ‘extremely lucky’ not to have been worse affected.
The ‘sport fanatic’ was in the hockey and netball team at school and also loves swimming, cycling, skiing and running.
Helena is pleased to have had the opportunity to familiarise herself with the ‘topsy turvy’ Games environment.
She said: “The difference between the Paralympics and a normal regatta is often the venues seem just massive, with a lot less athletes as there’s only one representative per country for each class.
“Plus, there’s increased publicity and you’re suddenly part of a much bigger team you’ve never been part of before.
“The sailing venues of Athens and Beijing were ridiculously large but WPNSA is just perfect, it’s a lot smaller but it’s absolutely spot on, last year at Sail for Gold, which was a big, big regatta there was still plenty of space on the slipway.”
Her biggest rival for selection is Portland’s Megan Pascoe.
She said: “The trials will probably come down between me and Meg; at the moment we’re training and working well together.
“We both realise the ultimate goal is a medal but when it comes to the trials we’ll have to go our separate ways and fight it out on the water.”
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