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Paralympian too ill to go to games

From the Cotswold Journal, first published Thursday 17th Jul 2008.

A BRAVE Moreton woman's dream of competing in the Paralympics has been shattered by her deteriorating health.

Lynne Burton, 33, finished second in a selection shoot to qualify to represent Britain in the archery competition at Beijing's 2008 Paralympics.

However, she is being treated at London's Royal Free Hospital after suffering chronic rejection of the latest of two liver transplants she underwent because of a condition she was born with.

Lynne has been wheelchair-bound since 2000 when she suffered spinal cord damage in a car accident that happened four days after she left hospital following one of the transplants.

The hospital allowed her to attend the selection in Shropshire but she was not well enough to drive, so her coach travelled from Kent to drive her there.

She was too weak to self-propel her wheelchair but still shot the required eight dozen arrows.

Lynne was driven straight back to the hospital, where she hoped to get fit for Beijing.

Her consultant has now told her she is too poorly to compete.

This indomitable woman now aims to get fit to compete in London's 2012 Paralympics.

Lynne, who has already competed at the world archery championships, said: "It's just a shame my health let me down.

"I do not know what the prognosis is at the moment.

"Hopefully, I will get well and compete in 2012.

"There's no point in giving up because there's still a lot I want to do."

Lynne, who will get a vest to prove she qualified for Britain's Paralympic team, is to follow her teammates' progress by watching the Paralymipics on television.

She said: "I'm going to support my colleagues 110 per cent."

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