By Tom Degun

September 21 - Beijing 2008 Paralympic gold medallist Helene Raynsford (pictured) has come out of her illness-induced retirement and has been named in Britain's squad for next month's World Rowing Championships in New Zealand.



Raynsford, who became Paralympic champion two years ago with victory the single sculls gold medallist, retired from the sport earlier this year due to a cardiac problem.

However, the 30-year-old is now back in training and is set to race in the adaptive classes at the event in Lake Karapiro at the Championships, which are due to open on October 31.

Raynsford told BBC Sport: "I still have problems but my cardiac drugs have been altered and I’ve had a rest and built up my training in a kayak.

"I’m doing slightly adjusted training than a rower would normally do but it is helping my heart accept training again and get used to it.

"Things are looking good for me but the real question is whether I will be able to stay well enough to compete and race."

Raynsford struggled with illness in the build up to her gold medal-winning performance in Beijing two years ago and was ill for a couple of days after her victory where she became Britain’s first Paralympic rowing champion.

The issues continued to plague her last year and after the former ballet dancer was diagnosed with a cardiac problem, she sat out the 2009 season.

Raynsford then returned to training late last year in an attempt to overcome the problem but was still forced to take a break from the sport in April.

She said: "When I had to retire, I discovered that the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young estimate that 12 fit young healthy people die each week because of undiagnosed heart conditions.

"I consider myself very lucky that GB Rowing realised something wasn’t right with me and started testing me otherwise I could have been another statistic."

Raynsford’s immediate goal is now the World Championships and, despite the lure of competing in front of a home crowd London 2012, she is refusing to commit to the defence of her title because of her illness.

Raynsford’s fellow Paralympic champion Tom Aggar, who has astonishingly never been beaten, has also been named in the team for New Zealand in the men’s single scull while the mixed adaptive coxed four features three newcomers in Kelsie Gibson, Ryan Chamberlain and Kate Jones as well as 2009 gold medallists James Roe and cox Rhiannon Jones.

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