Mansfield’s golden girl Charlotte Henshaw did it again at the Paris Paralympics — winning her second and third gold medals just a year after undergoing elbow surgery.

Charlotte, who claimed silver and bronze medals as a swimmer before switching to Para-canoe and winning gold at the delayed Tokyo Paralympics, dominated her two events.

First Charlotte, already a world and European champion, made history when she became the first winner of a new Paralympic event, Va’a boat racing event.

She got off to a good start in the VL3 Single 200m final, surging ahead of GB teammate Hope Gordon and remaining in charge to finish in 55.70, with Hope taking silver in 56.58.

Then a day later Charlotte, competing at her fifth Paralympics, successfully defended her women’s KL2 kayak single 200m title to make it three gold medals from two Games.

She stormed to victory ahead of teammate Emma Wiggs in windy conditions, finishing in a Games-best 49.07.

“I feel an immense amount of gratitude for the opportunity to be here, still hitting it out with the best in the world,” she told Channel 4 after winning her second gold medal in Paris.

“I raced last summer with a really unhappy elbow and it was that toss up between ‘do I do it now and hope that I’ll be back in form for the Games?’ or ‘do we risk it and risk not being here at all?’ I’m so grateful that people advised me to do it when we could and when we did.

“I was a one-eventer in swimming so I only ever got the opportunity to race for one medal and when it came to this Games, I thought ‘isn’t it going to be nice to get two bites of the cherry?’

“The two golds was the ultimate icing on the cake and to achieve that is just unbelievable.”

Charlotte said the Paris games were memorable because in Tokyo she had raced in front of empty stands because of the pandemic.

She also thanked her friends and family for being the rock of her career, adding: “I have to mention the amazing staff at Paddle UK. We are a super strong team, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing without the rest of the athletes pushing me along every day in training.

“A huge thanks to them, the support staff, the rest of the athletes, and obviously the National Lottery for funding our training centre because it is world class.”

Channel 4 is screening a programme on the Paralympics GB Homecoming on Saturday, 14th September, at 5.30pm. Look out for Mansfield Lawn Tennis Club’s Court 1, where a young wheelchair tennis player was filmed for the programme in August.