Golden girl makes a splash

A HEXHAM girl is on top of the world this week after being crowned double world canoeing champion.Sandra Hyslop, who celebrates her 17th birthday next week, won the women’s kayak singles championship at the Junior World Championships in South Carolina, USA. The Hexham Queen Elizabeth High School sixth former was also a member of the Great Britain squad which won the team gold.And just for good measure, Sandra also won a silver medal in the sprint event.She took gold in the classic event, which involved a 20-minute wildwater ride down the boiling Saluda river at Charlotte, by a clear 38 seconds.There to cheer her on were her parents, Maitland and Jackie, of Elvaston Grove, but big sister and fellow international wildwater canoeist Jennifer was away on a trek in Greenland. Sandra, formerly a prominent swimmer, has been paddling since she was 10 years old and trains every day on the Tyne with Hexham Canoe Club.She puts a lot of the credit for her success down to the coaches at the club, who have taught her vital skills.Sandra, who has just completed her AS levels, has already represented Great Britain as a junior and was selected for the 2006 Senior World Cup where she was the highest ranked British female at 13th.In the 2005 Junior World Championships, in Mezzana, she came 15th in the classic and 16th in the sprint, and was part of the GB team which won a bronze medal at the Junior European Championships.In the 2006 Junior European Championships, Sandra came ninth in the sprint event and seventh in the classic event.She is sponsored by Middlesbrough-based technology solutions providers Onyx Group, and also receives Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme funding. Sandra is also supported by Tyne Valley Insurance, Northumberland Schools Sports Association, The Henry Bell Trust, Tynedale Sports Council and Leisure Tynedale.Sandra would like to thank her coaches Michael Mason, Neil Stamps and Alan Tordoff and her parents, Maitland and Jackie, for all the effort they have put in to help her achieve her goals.Sport England North East regional director, Judith Rasmussen, said: “We’re so proud of Sandra and her phenomenal success in this exciting sport. “To bring a world gold medal back to the North-East is a credit to the determination and effort of Sandra and the incredible support she receives within the region. “She offers an exceptional example for the younger generation and is sure to help increase participation in kayaking and sport in general. “We congratulate her on what is a great achievement.”