HANNAH STODEL TO GIVE PRESENTATION AT EU

Essex University has invited former RHS pupil, and British Paralympian sailor, Hannah Stodel to tell them about her amazing career to mark International Women's Day on Tuesday 9 March 2010.

Hannah started sailing at the age of three in a ‘Mirror Dinghy' at her home club in Brightlingsea, Essex. Despite being born without a lower right arm she was able to adapt different techniques to overcome her disability. In 1995, she joined the Mirror National Squad, an initiative by the Royal Yachting Association to fast track youngsters into the Olympic classes. For Hannah, this led to many events, notably her first World Championships in Ontario, Canada at the age of 12.

By the late 1990s, Hannah was started to turn heads. Recognised by the Yachting Journalists' Association for winning the Ladies' Mirror National Title and for the filming of a TV advertisement to promote disabled sport, she became the youngest ever winner of the prestigious BT ‘Young Sailor of the Year Award' in 1998. At the age of 13 she took part in the ‘Round the Island Race', one of the premier events in British sailing with Ellen MacArthur aboard her 60ft Trimaran, Foncia Kingfisher.

In 2000, Hannah was selected to trial for one of the Paralympic boats, the Sonar and in 2001 she was selected for the British Paralympic Sailing Squad. In 2003, she took the European title and was third in the World Championships as well as being picked to compete in the Admiral's Cup – achievements that would see her selected for the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. There, Hannah became the first British woman to sail at such an event and finished a creditable sixth.

After the Paralympic Games in Athens, Hannah gained a sports scholarship to Loughborough University, where she had to learn the new skill of juggling a full-time sailing career with a full-time degree in Sports and Exercise Science. In 2005 and 2006, Hannah won the Sonar World Title alongside Gold and Silver Medals in the Miami and Hyere Olympic Classes regattas. In 2008 Hannah was selected to compete in Beijing where, after winning the Gold Medal in the Test Event, she was disappointed with her sixth place. However, Hannah quickly bounced back and in 2009 won Gold and Silver in all 3 World Cup events to take the inaugural Paralympic World Cup.

On the boat, Hannah is the tactician. This means she decides where to go on the racecourse, where the best wind is and plans the strategy in order for the team to win the race. She has currently taken timeout from her University studies to focus fully on the Paralympic Games for London 2012 with one aim: to win Gold!