A woman who recovered from a serious head injury sustained in a horse riding accident is celebrating winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

Georgie Brayshaw, 30, who took up rowing while studying at the University of Northampton, was in the team that won a nail-biting final in the women’s quadruple sculls on Wednesday.

Team GB edged past the Netherlands at the very end of the race and were judged to have won on a photo-finish.

The university said it was “incredibly proud” of Brayshaw.

The Dutch team had led the final of the women’s quadruple sculls from the beginning and was half a boat length clear with 200m to go, before the British team managed a late surge to cross the line first.

Brayshaw said: “It’s just incredible.

“For me, winning the race was doing the plan that we had set, and, if we’d done that plan, I knew it would get us over the line in first place, but, no matter what the result, I’d be so proud.

“To come first place, that is just dreams, it’s just incredible.”

Horseriding was Brayshaw’s first love, but, at 15, she sustained a serious head injury after falling from her horse.

She was in a coma for nine days, and was paralysed down her left side.

Brayshaw was told she might never walk again, but proved the doctors wrong and even got back on a horse.

When she got a place at the University of Northampton, she realised it was “unfeasible to take a horse to university”.

“I tried loads of clubs but nothing really clicked,” she said.

“I tried rowing in my second year and didn’t take it seriously at first.”

Brayshaw, who is from Harrogate, did get as far as a try-out for the GB Start rowing programme but was rejected.

She took a break from rowing to look after her mother following a stroke, but returned with renewed enthusiasm which took her to an Olympic gold.

The University of Northampton said: “Georgie took advantage of the opportunity to try new sports at the university and forged that passion into Olympic gold against the best in the world.

“Everyone here is incredibly proud of her and her team for winning in one of the most breathtaking finals of the games.

“We are sure her example will encourage more people to try a new sport while studying at university.”

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