FORMER Chase School student and Malvern competitor Emily Lewis has been selected onto the Canoe Sprint team for Tokyo 2020.
Lewis, 28, will compete in the Women's K-1 200, her preferred distance, but will also take part in the 500 race at her first ever Olympic Games.
Having grown up in Malvern, Emily attended the Chase School before going to St Mary's in Worcester for Sixth Form. She now trains in Nottingham but is a former member of the Worcester Canoe Club.
Lewis will be the second competitor from the town who will compete at the Games which starts next month, after Evie Richards was selected for the Mountain Bike event.
This will be the first time ever that Malvern has had two representatives at an Olympic Games.
"I am super excited," said Lewis.
"But just ready to get out there now and do the best I can. I am not putting too much expectation on myself, I just want to make sure I do a race that I can be proud of and that's all I will be asking of myself."
Lewis has surrounded herself with former Olympic champion Liam Heath, who won gold in the Men's 200m Kayak event at Rio 2016 and she is hoping to use some of that experience to guide her to a strong showing in Tokyo.
"He will be trying to keep his Olympic title in the team," she added.
"It has been inspiring to work with him and has spurred me on to try and replicate what he has done."
The former member of the Worcester Canoe Club will be flying out next week before taking part in a practice event to prepare for the Games.
The Kayaking competition will be held over five days in August, from the 2nd to the 7th.
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