Jenna Hawkey, from Portreath, is a former pupil of Redruth School

Cornish kayaker Jenna Hawkey is adjusting to the intensive training required to qualify for the Olympics.

The 24-year-old, who only began kayaking in 2006, is now a member of the British K4 500m squad - and training three times a day.

Hawkey told BBC Radio Cornwall: "The good thing for me is that I built up for it really gradually.

"Our training now is very intensive, but that's been built up over the last two years so that's really good."

Simpson added: "We do three sessions a day, that's two sessions on the water and then one more session in the gym.

"We do get Saturday afternoons and Sundays off though, which we really look forward to!"

Hawkey, who took up the sport after leaving Cornwall to go to university, is now based at Bisham Abbey in Berkshire - a stone's throw from Dorney Lake, the venue for rowing and canoe sprint at London 2012.

However if she qualifies, Hawkey intends to leave no-one in doubt that she comes from Cornwall.

She said: "I've said all along that if I get to go to the Olympics, I want to get a little St Piran's flag on my shoulder, so that when I'm paddling down people can see that I'm from Cornwall."

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