Olympic champ to run marathon for paralysed rider

Ros Canter with her friend Saffron Cresswell, who fell from her horse during an event last year

An Olympic champion equestrian is to run the London Marathon in honour of a young rider who was paralysed in a fall.

Ros Canter, who won gold in team eventing at the 2024 Paris games, said she had been inspired to take part by her friend Saffron Cresswell, who broke her back when she fell from her horse in June last year.

Canter, from Hallington, Lincolnshire, will be running to raise money for research into spinal injuries.

"Saffron's been absolutely incredible, she's just an inspiration to us all," she said. "Right from day one, she's been determined to live her life to the full, regardless of what's happened."

The friends had planned to run the marathon together before the accident at the Bramham Horse Trials.

Cresswell, who was 23 at the time, damaged her spinal cord in the fall and was paralysed from the chest down. She now uses a wheelchair.

Canter (left) won eventing gold at the Paris Olympics, alongside Laura Collett and Tom McEwen

Canter is training for the Badminton Horse Trials, in May, and the Agria European Championship, at Blenheim Palace, in September.

However, she contacted her friend about the possibility of running the marathon for the Spinal Research charity.

She said Cresswell had told her: "Get yourself in to gear and off you go."

Speaking about the response to Cresswell's accident, Canter said: "There's a great team spirit in our sport, we're all friends. It's always shocking when something like that happens.

"She's out doing lots of stuff in her wheelchair, trying different sports, doing her best to get as strong as she can, to enable her to live a life she still wants to lead."

Canter runs a livery yard and trains for competition at Hallington, near Louth

Cresswell, from Worcestershire, had won European medals and was hoping to take part in the Olympics in the future. During her rehabilitation, she praised the NHS staff involved in her care.

She said: "It is amazing that Ros is running the marathon after we'd planned to run it together.

"It is great that she is raising money for a charity close to my heart.

"The funds will advance research to help people living with spinal chord injuries."

The London Marathon will be held on 27 April, when more than 56,000 runners are expected to take part.

Spinal Research funds work on new treatments, technologies and therapies for people living with spinal cord injuries and aims to "find a cure for paralysis".

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