Paralympic GB’s multi-sport Swiss-army-knife prepared to finish busy yr on a excessive
Fresh from her Commonwealth Games debut, Hope Gordon is determined to focus on her own performance when she returns to the water at the World Championships.
Hope Gordon during the Sprint and Paracanoe world championships media day at Holme Pierrepont National Water Sports Centre, United Kingdom.
Fresh off her dream Commonwealth Games debut in para-powerlifting, sporting Swiss-army-knife Hope Gordon has set her eyes on not getting caught up with looking at her competitors.
Gordon took to the Glasgow 2026 Games in the women’s heavyweight para powerlifting competition, appearing in her third different sport at the elite level after also representing Team GB at the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics. She will take to the water at the ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships later this month in Poznan, from 26-30 August.
The first ever female para Nordic skier for Team GB, she has taken to para sport since the amputation of her left leg above the knee in 2016. Gordon said: “It’s been all go-go-go this season, Worlds will be my fifth international in four months since May, it’s been quite a busy year that I’ll hopefully end on a high. Four internationals, two World Cups and I managed to squeeze the Commonwealth Games in!
“I’ve tried to say yes – before my operation, I spent a long time not being able to say yes, so for the last 10 years, I’ve been trying to say yes as much as I can.
“The Commonwealths reminded me of why I started sport in the first place, turning up and doing my way more than just medals. That’s exactly the same that I will do in Poznań even if there’s a bit more weight because I know I can perform well and be on the podium.”
Hope Gordon of Team Scotland celebrates after a lift during Women’s Para Powerlifting at the Commonwealth Games(Image: 2026 Getty Images)
The Scot, who was born in Golspie, is feeling positive ahead of her KL3 kayak campaign in Eastern Europe, returning to where she first raced for the United Kingdom
“This year my kayak has stepped up in competition and that’s mainly down to focussing on my own performances and not worrying about the girls around me. I’ve previously got a bit too caught up in the races, which has led me to not race my own race. I actually had my first international competition in Poznan in 2019, so it’s cool to go back there. I’ve never competed there in the summer, and the weather is well known for being pretty horrendous, so I’m optimistic that we’re going to have great conditions.
“It’s been a successful year and I’ve been fortunate to be on multiple podiums, so that does come with expectation, but if I deliver my best 200m, the results will look after themselves.”
She is part of a team which includes reigning Paris 2024 champions Charlotte Henshaw and Emma Wiggs, as well as 2024 Paralympic silver medallists Dave Phillipson and Jack Eyers.
Gordon was clear that the Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships was always her primary focus.
“As soon as I knew that the Commies were heading back to Scotland, it was a case of seeing how I could get there,” she said. “I’m very proud and privileged to have been able to have had that experience and the atmosphere was just amazing.
“It was much more of a personal goal than performance-based, and in the front of my mind, I still had the World Championships as the main goal. I never spent more than five days out of the boat throughout the Commonwealth Games. I had every day of July planned in March.
“I always dreamed of being part of Team Scotland and I dabbled in lots of sports when I was an able-bodied kid, it’s cool to be able to have competed in a few sports at a high level.”
Paddle UK is the national governing body for canoeing, kayaking and all other paddle sports. For more information, visit https://paddleuk.org.uk/
