Date of Birth: 03/11/1988
Born: Guildford, Surrey
Hometown: Guildford, Surrey
Lives: Maidenhead, Berkshire
 
Class/Distance: Canoe Sprint - K1 500m & K4 500m
Paddling since: 2004
Club: Wey Kayak Club
Coach: Brendan Purcell
Boat: Nelo Vanquish Quattro
Paddles: Jantex Gamma Mediums
 
Sponsors: Nelo, Jantex, Speedstroke, Lifeplan, Sweaty Betty, Meaco, Sport Guildford
Lottery Funding: UK Sport Podium Programme
 
Hobbies: Swimming, crocheting of small animals, scrap booking, painting and building sandcastles!
Website: www.rachelcawthorn.co.uk

Twitter: @RachelCawthorn
Notes:
Rachel Cawthorn is a women's K1 500m and K4 500m sprint kayaker and has been selected for Team GB at London 2012 in both events.
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She was introduced to sprint kayaking when she was 15, through a talent identification scheme run by the British Canoe Union. She loved it straight away and was one of eight children picked from 1000.
2010 was a rewarding year for Rachel who became the K1 European champion over 1000m and went on to become Britain’s first woman to medal at both European and World Championship, where she won bronze in the Olympic distance of 500m. Despite a winter of repeated illness in 2011, she managed to get back for the World Championships, and helped qualify the K4 500m boat for the London 2012 Olympic Games, just narrowly missing out on a medal.
Since Rachel began canoeing, both her parents have also taken up kayaking. Her brother has also taken up canoeing, in K1 and C1 classes. Her dad also coaches at their club.
Rachel is a qualified sports massage therapist, personal trainer and swimming teacher.