Having begun her sporting journey as a paraswimmer, Charlotte Henshaw represented Great Britain for over a decade across three Paralympic Games, bagging silver and bronze medals for swimming. Until she found her way into paracanoe and won the paracanoe world championship ten times. Winning gold at Tokyo 2020, was followed by Charlottes incredible double gold win at Paris 2024 where she competed in the inaugural VL3 event (watch here). For her services to canoeing she was awarded an MB in the 2021 New Years Honours List.
In this episode, Charlotte and I dive deep into her incredible journey to Paris, where she made history by winning double gold at the World Championships and then repeating that triumph at the Paris Games. But this wasn’t just about victory—it was about the whispered dreams of an athlete, the intense pressure of competition, and the courage it took to break barriers as a woman and as the first-ever double gold para athlete in canoeing. We explore the highs, and the profound sense of grief that accompanies standing on the podium, only to return home 24 hours later to face the post-Paris blues—a reality many athletes know all too well.
Charlotte’s mantra for Paris was simple yet powerful: “Be Courageous.” We unpack how this mindset, shaped by her partnership with a new sports psychologist just 10 weeks before Pairs, helped her navigate pressure, and inner fear. Her journey holds invaluable lessons for all of us, offering practical tools to confront our own challenges and fears.
But Charlotte’s story doesn’t end there. She opens up about her personal battle with endometriosis—a condition affecting millions of women worldwide—and the eight long years it took to receive her diagnosis. We talk about the surgery she had to undergo, how she manages the condition as an elite athlete, and the growing conversation around women’s health issues in elite sports. Charlotte is a passionate advocate for better awareness and research, and her courage in sharing her experience has broke open the conversation and led to many reaching out to her about their own stories.
I also ask her about meeting His Majesty and the lasting inspiration Charlotte Henshaw found in South African paraswimmer Natalie du Toit. Tune in to hear Charlotte’s powerful story of triumph, courage, and the relentless pursuit of her dreams.