Rio's golden girl Chippington on shortlist for Get Berkshire Active award

A year to remember for para-canoer Jeanette Chippington could be capped off with the Get Berkshire Active sports personality of the year award.

Chippington, who won Paralympic GB’s first ever rowing gold medal in Rio earlier this year, some 20 years after claiming her first paralympic medal in the pool as a swimmer, made her one of the country’s most successful athletes of all time.

The member of Longridge Boat Club in Marlow claimed her third gold medal for Great Britain and her 13th paralympic medal overall after crossing the finish line split seconds in front of her rivals on the Lagoa Lake in Rio.

Chippington first tasted paralympic success in the pool before retiring as a swimmer after Athens in 2004. She returned to competitive sport in para-canoeing and donned the GB vest once again when the sport made its debut at Rio. Chippington has been shortlisted for the award alongside Connor Wharram and Eric Moor.

The awards will be given out at Reading’s Hilton Hotel on Friday, February 10. Chippington is one of a number of athletes and clubs who’ve been nominated for an award.

Cox Green School pupil Katie Crowhurst, a visually impaired swimmer who hopes to follow in Chippington’s slipstream and represent her country at a Paralympic Games, has been short-listed in the junior sports personality category.

She broke the s13 classification 200m butterfly record at the Buckinghamshire County Swimming Championships at the Magnet Leisure Centre in February and also won a bronze medal at the ASA National Swimming Championships in Sheffield.

Also in the running for awards are Slough Town FC in the community club category.

They’ll go up against Royal Windsor Rollergirls and Thames Valley Kings Wheelchair Basketball Club for that honour while Health project of the year could go to Windsor Running Club’s Fit for Life scheme.