Anna Hemmings's Biography

When British canoeist Anna Hemmings won the K1 women's senior event at the 2005 ICF Marathon World Championships in Perth, Australia, it was her third time but, as she said, the most special.

The victory came two years after Hemmings had been told she might not compete again after being diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Anna Hemmings started her collection of gold medals in 1997 when, aged 20, she won the European Championship.

It was to be the first of many titles. Successes included, in 2001, winning both the singles and the doubles Marathon world titles.

In November 2005, Anna Hemmings won the Champions Category in the Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards. It capped a notable year for Anna, who had won the National, European and World Championships in Marathon Canoeing.

Anna Hemmings's comeback came after she discovered a treatment called 'Reverse Therapy' for her Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Anna heard about 'Reverse Therapy' through one of her sponsors (Pindar) employees.

Anna's mother comes from Honduras and she loves Latin American culture.