Janette Cardy was inspired to make a remarkable recovery from a career-threatening stroke by the prospect of returning to the Oxfordshire Sports Awards, writes MATTHEW BRUCE.

The 43-year-old, from Witney, has been shortlisted for the Sportswoman of the Year award at Oxford’s Kassam Stadium on Friday.

It comes after she struck gold at this year’s European Aquathlon Championships in Germany and silver at the World Championships in Canada, in a sport which involves swimming and running.

Cardy won the Active Inspiration award at the 2010 ceremony after her amazing recovery from ME.

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However, when she was struck down by a stroke shortly afterwards her sporting career appeared to be under threat once more.

But Cardy’s memories of the awards in 2010 motivated her to return to international competition.

She said: “Four years ago I won the Inspiration award and I remember thinking then ‘I’d love to be able to come here again and be recognised as a proper sportsperson’.

“Three months later I had a stroke and had to have my thyroid removed, which left me unable to train or work.

“But during my recovery I remembered how I had felt back then and it spurred me on to keep going.

“The start of this journey was the 2010 Oxfordshire Sports Awards and I think going back this year really closes the door on that for me.

“I can leave all that behind now and just be ‘Janette Cardy the athlete’ without having to think about my illness.”

Despite her determined effort to recover from such a setback and represent Great Britain again, Cardy’s incredible success this year has taken even her by surprise.

“I knew I was doing well, but I didn’t think I would win anything this year,” she said.

“I’m on medication for life and my health still isn’t great a lot of the time so it was out of the blue in that respect, but I’ve had to work hard to achieve what I have done.”

Also shortlisted for the award are 1500m Commonwealth Games and European Athletics Championships finalist Hannah England and rising motorcycle star Georgina Polden.

Polden became the first female to win a race in the prestigious Aprilia Superteen Challenge series when she finished first at Snetterton in May, with some now tipping her to become the first woman to race in MotoGP.

But the 18-year-old, from Kidlington, admitted that it had come as a surprise to find herself on the shortlist.

“I was delighted to be nominated for the award, I hadn’t expected it at all,” she said.

“I’ve had a good year and I think that’s brought me a lot more attention than I’ve had previously, but you never expect something like this.

“It’s nice to be recognised, because I don’t think many would have expected to see a motorcyclist nominated in the sportswoman category.”

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