Sport
Paraplegic after a 2024 fall, Saffron Cresswell qualifies for the Canoeing World Championships
British rider Saffron Cresswell, 25, became paraplegic after a fall on June 8, 2024, during the Bramham Horse Trials in West Yorkshire. Previously an elite eventer and British representative with medals at three European championships, she managed up to 25 horses from age 15. Following a T4 spine fracture and four months of hospitalization at Leeds General Infirmary, she retrained as an equestrian coach. In a remarkable turnaround, just eight months after her first paddling session, she qualified for the Canoeing World Championships in August 2026.