A Shropshire woman hoping to represent Team GB at next year’s Paralympics has been given a funding boost by UK Sport.

Kelda Wood, who lives near Shrewsbury, is bidding to be part of the canoeing team at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio and is appealing for sponsorship to help her pursue her dream.

She needs to raise £20,000 to be able to continue to train full-time, and is now only £9,000 off her target after receiving continued support and direct funding totalling £10,000 through UK Sport.

Kelda severely damaged her leg in a horse riding accident in 2002 which limited her movement and changed her life completely.

But she fought back, setting up her own charity, Climbing Out, to help young people dealing with similar life-changing injuries or illnesses, and is now training hard with the Team GB Paracanoe team.

UK sport and lottery funding is supporting Kelda and the rest of the squad, providing them with world class coaches, training facilities and support team, as well as the opportunity to attend a training camp in Brazil to give them the best preparation possible ready for the Paralympics next September.

“This year has been a bit of a blur to be honest,” Kelda said. “I started training full-time in September which has been fantastic but really intense.

“Everything has gone really well and I am making the times I need to make, so I am quietly confident of making it on to the Paralympic team but I have just got to keep working as hard as I can.

“I have been looking for sponsorship to help pay for my living costs while I train full-time and I am really grateful to East Midlands Civil Engineering Ltd who have donated £1,000.

“The funding from UK Sport is really important so I need to say a big thank you to them too - and everyone else who has supported me so far.

“Without the support of UK Sport and Lottery funding, we could never be in such a strong position as a nation entering into the final months before the Paralympics.

“I am hoping to raise a further £9,000 and would be very happy to talk to businesses about how we could potentially work together.”

Kelda said she had dreamed about going to an Olympic Games since being a young girl so it would mean the world to her if she made it to Brazil.

For more information and to offer support, email info@keldawood.co.uk, or call 07977 574785.