2018 Helene Ripa - Sweden

Helene Ripa (Sweden) – Nominee for the 2018 Sportswoman of the Year award

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Born: 1971, Represents: Sweden, Sport: Canoe Sprint (KL3)

Major Results: 

• 2018: World Champion KL3 200; European Champion KL3 200
• Paralympian in three different sports. Olympic gold and silver in cross-country skiing.

When looking for awe-inspiring athletes with remarkable achievements, Helene Ripa most certainly shoots to the top of the list. Ripa’s sporting career began in 1992 when she competed at the Barcelona Paralympics as a swimmer. She then went on to win a gold and a silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympics in the cross-country skiing events, before converting to paracanoe in 2015. Ripa’s appearance at the 2018 Rio Paralympics in the KL2 200m event marked her third Paralympics in three separate sports.

To add to her list of incredible achievements, the 47-year-old claimed her first world title in Paracanoe at the 2018 Canoe Sprint World Championships in a race that was decided by just 0.21 seconds. After a slower start, Ripa powered through the final stages of the race to overcome Australia’s Amanda Reynolds, who was the reigning World Champion. 

The raw emotion expressed by Ripa when she crossed the finish line was moving, with the Swedish athlete pouring her heart and soul into this sport since converting. Holding back tears in her post race interview, she said that this win shows that she is on the right track leading into Tokyo, however the real challenge for her is discovering how much more she can improve.

With two years until the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, Ripa is aiming to add her name to the list of athletes to win a medal at both a Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. A feat that after this performance, is well within reach.