‘I never thought I would be representing my country this soon’: former eventer selected for paracanoe World Championships
The selection comes just eight months after taking up the sport.
Former international eventer Saffron Cresswell has been selected to represent Great Britain at the paracanoe World Championships (26-30 August).
Saffron, 25, will compete in two boats; a va’a and a kayak, in 200m sprints, in Poznan, Poland.
Saffron, who sustained a serious spinal injury in a cross-country fall in 2024, told H&H that her first time in a paracanoe was only 23 December last year. Through the Women’s Sport Trust unlocked programme, an initiative bringing elite female athletes together, Saffron met Olympic canoeist Deborah Kerr, who encouraged her to try it.
“I tried loads of different sports, but hadn’t really found one that I loved,” said Saffron.
“Debs said: ‘You should really have a go at para canoes’. I’d had a few people suggest it in the past but hadn’t taken them up on the idea, then after meeting Debs I ended up going along to Leamington Spark New Club.
“December was completely the wrong time of year to start a water sport, but coming from a horsey background, it didn’t really cross my mind that it was going to be wet and cold. I turned up and since then have been training. My coach Attila Herbent made it really fun, and then I realised I wanted to do it more seriously so the World Championships became a quiet aim.”
Saffron said it was important to her that she found a sport that she really enjoyed and that provided a challenge.
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“I tried wheelchair racing and stuff, but once you had the technique it was a case of pushing for longer and faster, a bit like running,” said Saffron.
“Whereas canoeing is quite technical, and coming from a technical sport, particularly the dressage phase of eventing, I think it’s probably more relatable to the elements of sport that I really enjoy.”
Saffron, who won eventing medals for Great Britain in ponies, said getting selected for the paracanoe World Championships was “unexpected”.
“It’s not quite what I had in my January bucket list at the start of 2026,” she said.
“It’s all a bit of an unknown, but I’m so excited. I never thought I would be representing my country this soon. Two years ago I was in a hospital bed-bound not knowing what my life would look like, so this has come around really quickly and probably a lot quicker than I anticipated.
“There’s not a huge expectation on me for the championships, but that’s something I’ve learned from having my accident, that it’s really important just to enjoy the sport as much as trying to perform and be the best athlete I can.”
Saffron is making her final training preparations before heading to Poland.
“We’ll have some days before the race to train there and get used to the water, because all the different lakes feel different. The plan until then is to keep doing what I’m doing and not overcomplicate it,” she said.
“My family and friends are coming out to watch and will make a bit of a holiday out of it. They’ve obviously all been so supportive since my accident, helping me find new sports and challenges, so it will be lovely having them there.”
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.