Shelly Woods

Rochelle "Shelly" Woods (born 4 June 1986) is an elite British Paralympic athlete from the suburb of Layton in Blackpool, Lancashire.

[1] At the age of 11 Woods fell 20 feet (6.1 m) from a tree, resulting in a permanent injury to her spinal cord at the T12-L1 vertebra (paraplegia) and requiring her to use a wheelchair.

As a wheelchair athlete, she has achieved considerable success having won the Great North Run in 2005, setting a new British record for the half-marathon in the process.

[3] Representing Team GB at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, Woods won a bronze medal in the 5,000 metres wheelchair final at the second time of asking.

[4] Having originally been awarded silver for coming second on 8 September, a controversial protest arising from a multiple collision (six athletes crashed) in the final straight led to the race being re-staged four days later.