Nick Beighton
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Nicholas Beighton |
| Nationality | British |
| Born |
29 September 1981 Stockport, England |
| Height | 200 cm (6 ft 7 in) (2012) |
| Weight | 88 kg (194 lb) (2012) |
| Sport | |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Sport | Rowing |
| Event(s) | Mixed scull |
| Club | Guildford RC |
| Coached by | Tom Dyson |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Paralympic finals | 2012 |
Nick Beighton (born 29 September 1981) is a British adaptive rower who competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. A soldier by profession, Beighton took up rowing as part of the rehabilitation programme after losing his legs during active service. He competes in the mixed scull with partner Sam Scowen.
History
Beighton was born in Stockport, England in 1981. At the age of seven his family moved to Shrewsbury where he attended Meole Brace School and later Shrewsbury Sixth Form College before matriculating to Sheffield University.[1] In 2006 he was commissioned from Sandhurst as a captain in the Royal Engineers of the British Army.[2] In October 2009, while on patrol in Helmand Province in Afghanistan, Beighton stood on an improvised explosive device.[3] His life was saved by an Army Medic, who kept him stable before being taken to medical facilities in Camp Bastion.[1] Beighton was placed in a medically induced coma and required 36 pints of blood during his initial treatment.[3] Although his life was saved he lost both his legs in the attack.[4]
In February 2010, Beighton attended a Paralympic talent identification day at Brunel University. It was there that he became aware that the British Paralympic squad were looking for a male Trunk and Arms rower.[2] He first sculled in July 2010 at Guildford Rowing Club as part of the rehabilitation programme at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre.[4] In April 2011, Beighton joined the Great Britain rowing team, and in May he was paired with Sam Scowen in the TA mixed Double Scull at the world cup in Munich.[3][5] They finished third to take the bronze. In August Breighton travelled to Slovenia to take part in the 2011 World Rowing Championships, he and Scowen finished 6th.[3] In 2011, he and Scowen were the first rowers to qualify for the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London.[6] They finished fourth at the London 2012 Paralympics, on the losing end of a photo finish for the bronze medal.
Notes
- 1 2 "Shropshire Life". greatbritishlife.co.uk. 19 August 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- 1 2 "Nick Beighton". paralympics.org.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 "Beighton to fulfil Paralympic dream". sport.uk.msn.com. 19 August 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
- 1 2 "Paralympian who lost legs in blast 'driven' by injuries". BBC.co.uk. 22 August 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
- ↑ "Aggar wins Munich heat as Scowen and Beighton make double scull world cup debut". britishrowing.org. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
- ↑ "Wounded Shropshire soldier aims for Paralympic glory". BBC.co.uk. 31 August 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2012.