Wandsworth adaptive rower Ryan Chamberlain has vowed to prove one man’s loss is another man’s gain by cementing his surprise Great Britain spot at October’s World Championships.

The 24-year-old was on the fringes of the British set-up before an injury to Dave Smith saw him jet in at the last minute to help the mixed coxed fours claim double gold at the Varese International Regatta in May.

Impressed with what they had seen the selectors kept faith with the former Ashcroft Technology Academy pupil for the World Cup Regatta in Bled later that month.

And after rewarding their trust by claiming his second gold in the space of a month, Chamberlain is desperate to strengthen his position by extending his medal rush in New Zealand.

“This year has been going at a million miles an hour so far,” said Chamberlain. “I had no expectations of making the British rowing team this year but then Dave Smith got injured and I was called up in May.

“Someone rang me up and said would you be interested in going to the Varese Adaptive Regatta and I thought ‘brilliant – of course’.

“I asked when and they said you have to catch a plan in ten hours so I didn’t have much time. I was kind of thrown in at the deep end but it seemed to work out OK because the next thing I know I am winning two golds in the LTA mixed coxed four.

“And then I went to the World Cup in Bled in Slovenia back in May and won gold again so I have been really pleased with how everything has been going.

“We then had the World Championship trials in and I made the squad for New Zealand in October so obviously have that to look forward to as well.”

Chamberlain’s preparations for the worlds were given a boost when he was called up to the Paralympic Potentials camp along with 160 other athletes in Bath at the end of August (25th-30th).

And despite revealing he needs a further operation on the leg he had his foot amputated from after being hit by a car in Bolivia, Chamberlain insists his Paralympic Games preparations are ahead of schedule.

“I still need another operation on my stump and it is quite a significant operation that is effectively having the amputation done all over again,” added Chamberlain.

“I had the choice of either having the operation now or waiting until after the World Championships and getting some more time in the boat and I chose the latter.

“It was a tough decision because it was either have the operation right away and have plenty of time to recover ahead of London 2012 or have the World Championship experience but risk being fully fit for London 2012.”

* Lloyds TSB is providing awards of £1,000 to over 270 emerging young sportspeople identified each year across Britain, in the run up to London 2012 and beyond. Visit Lloydstsb.com/Localheroes