Amy Turner is targeting success at Tokyo 2020 after being selected for the Olympic Development Programme for sprint kayak.

It followed her performances at the international selection regatta last month.

The former Cokethorpe School pupil, 21, from Chadlington, is part of the Girls4Gold British Canoeing World Class Programme, which fast-tracks athletes who show medal potential for Japan.

She switched to kayaking at 18 after reluctantly giving up horse eventing for financial reasons to pursue her Olympic dream.

“I had never heard of sprint kayaking until I looked down the list of Olympic sports and I saw it,” said Turner. “I found my local canoe club (Banbury) and organised my first session on the water and the rest is history.

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“In addition to riding I swam at county level so I knew I had some feel for the water, but by the end of the first session I thought it could be the sport for me.

“Before I started kayaking I had a huge phobia of fish and would refuse to swim in the sea.

“Sprint kayaks are very wobbly when you first start and you end up spending a lot of time in the water, but I’m much more comfortable now.”

She combined training with studying for a BSc in sports science at Oxford Brookes, before joining the scheme in 2013 where she completed a tough selection procedure.

Turner trains three times a day at the National Watersports Centre after she relocated to Nottingham.

She added: “Six years is actually not much time to get to Olympic medallist standard and our training programme reflects that.

“Being selected is a big step in the right direction as it means I’m getting closer to selection for World and European Championships.”

She added: “To compete at an Olympic games is the ultimate goal and would be the culmination of years of dedication.”