Rachel Williamson
Rachel 'Rach' Williamson (born 14 March 1989) is a former RAF Medic, Invictus Games Team Captain and medalist and Civil Servant.[1] She was injured during a Rugby Union training session whilst serving for the Royal Air Force.[1]
Military career[edit]
Royal Air Force[edit]
Williamson joined the Royal Air Force in 2007 at the age of 18 initially training as a Physical Training Instructor (PTI) before re-trading as an RAF Medic. Williamson served for a total of 10.5 years to the rank of Senior Aircraftsman (SAC), which included Aeromedical Evacuation training and a 4-month deployment to the Falkland Islands in 2013.[2]
In October 2014, Williamson was injured during a Rugby Union training session representing the RAF Rugby Union Women’s team. Injuring her right hand at the time and following rehabilitation at Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Headley Court, Williamson's injury worsened and as a result was Medically Discharged from Service in February 2018.[3][4]
Invictus Games[edit]
Williamson initially heard about the 2018 Invictus Games by a friend and was encourage to apply and use sport as a recovery tool to overcome her injury.[5] In 2017, Williamson applied her interest to attend Team UK training camps and learnt all about adaptive sports. In 2018, Williamson was selected as part of Team UK and attended the Invictus Games in Sydney.[6][7] As a single-arm athlete, Williamson came back home with a total of 2 Gold, 3 Silver and 1 Bronze medals across both sports Indoor Rowing and Swimming.[8][9]
In 2019, Williamson reapplied for the 2020 Invictus Games and was successfully selected as the first female captain for Team UK.[10][11]
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the 2020 Invictus Games The Hague was postponed twice and took place 16-22 April 2022.[12] This didn't stop Williamson winning again as she came home with 4 Gold medals and 1 Silver medal across 3 sports; Athletics, Swimming and Indoor Rowing.[13]
Williamson also holds multiple Adaptive World and Adaptive British Records in Indoor Rowing.[14]
Other Work[edit]
Williamson has also debuted as a commentator for Internationally acclaimed British Rowing Indoor Championships (BRIC) Online in 2020[15] and the British Rowing Virtual Championships (BRVC) in 2021.[16] [17]
Williamson currently works at the newly built Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Stanford Hall near Loughborough (Previously Headley Court in Surrey).[18]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Episode 017 - SAC Rachel Williamson - Royal Air Force Veteran". Military Veterans Podcast. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
- ↑ "Fight like a girl: supporting female veterans – Advance Magazine". Retrieved 2022-08-28.
- ↑ "RAFStories - Back Into Sport". www.rafstories.org. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
- ↑ "MYEBOOK - BASEM Today 46 - Spring 2019 - Rachel Williamson". library.myebook.com. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
- ↑ "Wounded veteran who will lead Team UK at Invictus Games urges others to exercise". ITV News. 2020-07-22. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
- ↑ "Rachel and her Family & Friends". Invictus Games. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
- ↑ "Invictus success for one-armed swimmer". BBC News. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
- ↑ "Results | Invictus Games Sydney 2018". www.invictusgames2018.com. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
- ↑ "Rachel Williamson story". www.helpforheroes.org.uk. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
- ↑ 👊 Rachel Williamson talks Team UK at the Invictus Games | PUSH, retrieved 2022-08-28
- ↑ "Exclusive first interview - The woman leading Harry's Invictus Games team". www.newschainonline.com. 2020-02-11. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
- ↑ "Team UK back together after Covid delays". www.helpforheroes.org.uk. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
- ↑ "The former RAF medic who's heading to the Invictus Games". www.sidebysidehub.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
- ↑ "British Virtual Indoor Rowing Championships 2021 – Adaptive Rowing UK". Retrieved 2022-08-28.
- ↑ "First-ever British Rowing Virtual Championships sees fantastic number of entries". British Rowing. 2020-06-23. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
- ↑ "asensei British Rowing Virtual Championships 2021". British Rowing. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
- ↑ "'Life is still out there for the living and I can still challenge myself to be better'". British Rowing. 2022-05-09. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
- ↑ Limited, Alamy. "Former RAF medic and now staff member Rachel Williamson, who used to be a patient at the Defence Medical Rehab Centre's former site in Headley Court - Alamy". www.alamy.com. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
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