Somerset slalom canoeist Ryan Westley nearly gave up on the sport after surgery on both shoulders.

Against all the odds, he is back in the British team for the first international racing season of the Paris 2024 Olympic cycle.

The 28-year-old has reached pinnacle of the sport and picked up World Championship team silver medals in 2017 and 2018.

However an operation on his shoulder at the end of 2018, followed by another on the other shoulder in March 2021, nearly saw him walk away from the sport. 

"I was pretty much convinced I wouldn't come back," said Westley.

"There were lots of times I thought I wouldn't get back to this point. My partner and I were looking at moving away, looking at other jobs.

"I couldn't deal with the disappointment of getting injured every time you think you might be getting somewhere. 

"It's no fun when you can't put the effort in. If things had been a bit different, I might not be here now. 

"I'm happy to be back doing what I love and lucky for the support I've had over the last couple of years. British Canoeing and the National Lottery programme have helped me make those decisions.

"Four years of two steps forward, three steps backwards. Now, touch wood. It feels like everything's moving in the right direction, back to racing, back to training. 

"We had a winter training camp in Dubai this year, which felt like a big turning point.

"Hopefully, I can just push on from here.”

Westley trains at Lee Valley White Water Centre, a world-leading venue in the sport and home of canoe slalom during the London 2012 Olympic Games.

His comeback season culminates in the ICF World Championships in Munich, 50 years after the city hosted the 1972 Games. 

It is all a radical change from last year when Westley began preparing for a totally new stage in life.

He added: "I started doing some freelance outdoor work. I wasn't training, so I did some Duke of Edinburgh award training stuff and some canoe expeditions. 

"I was looking at what might be the next stage in my life. Outdoors is a big hobby of mine but getting back into training and racing reminded me of what I love about sport. In the next couple of years, it will be a big help to me and help me push that little bit on. 

"I've really had to look and ask whether I want to do this. That's going to help me make those extra gains.

"With what I've been through in the last couple of years, it's definitely put me in a significantly better place than if I hadn't been through it. 

"It's tough at the time, but the mental strength I've gained from it will hopefully put me in a better place.

British Canoeing is the National Governing Body for paddlesports in the UK. If you’ve been inspired by Bradley and want to try paddling, visit the Go Paddling website https://gopaddling.info