Kimberley Woods has had to fight for most things in her life and duly battled to an emotional K1 Olympic bronze.

The 28-year-old was left on tenterhooks when occupying the final podium place as reigning Olympic champion Ricarda Funk of Germany took to the course last.

Funk missed one of the last gates on the course to ensure Woods kept bronze with a time of 98.94 seconds.

“It feels absolutely incredible, just knowing all of the hard work I’ve put in,” said Woods, who threw her paddle emphatically in the knowledge that she had put down a great run.

“I was a bit frustrated with a mistake at the end but I knew I had gone faster than my semi-final time, I gave it my all and got a result out of it.”

A sporty child, Woods was mercilessly bullied between the age of eight and 14 with bullies targeting her appearance.

That experience left scars and after an anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2015, Woods began self-harming and the destructive cycle was only addressed when a coach asked her: ‘are you okay?’

"This medal makes everything worth it," said Woods. "I go back to that moment when I first admitted I need help - it's okay to do that and I've done that with the people close to me."

There was no disgrace in Woods finishing a full 2.86 seconds behind Australian flagbearer Jessica Fox, who is considered one of the greatest canoeists of all time and carried her nation’s flag at the Opening Ceremony, with Klaudia Zwolinska of Poland taking silver.

Woods was inconsolable after finishing 10th in Tokyo and conducted post-race interviews in floods of tears.

This time she was left beaming and her stunning performance ensures that Team GB have won an Olympic medal in canoe slalom at each of the last six Olympic Games, a run stretching back to Sydney 2000 and the advent of National Lottery funding.

“We’ve been really successful in getting medals and it’s finally me!” said Woods. “I’m part of that history now and it means so much, thinking back to that girl who wanted to go out there and win an Olympic medal.”

With more than £30M a week raised for Good Causes, including vital funding into elite and grassroots sport, National Lottery players support our Olympic and Paralympic athletes to live their dreams and make the nation proud, as well as providing more opportunities for people to take part in sport.  To find out more visit: www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk