AN OLYMPIAN is ‘absolutely thrilled’ after her stolen windsurfing kit was recovered thanks to the Dorset Echo.

Olympic bronze medal-winning windsurfer Bryony Shaw’s hopes of competing in an international world cup event were left ‘hanging by a thread’ after callous thieves stole all her kit, as reported in the Echo earlier this week.

The 31-year-old had loaded all her kit onto the roof of her parents, Hazel and Brian’s, car in Weymouth ready to be taken to the RYA store for shipping ahead of the ISAF World Cup event in Abu Dhabi in November. She then left for a holiday in the US.

But she was devastated to discover thieves had slashed the ties holding the kit to the roof and made a swift getaway last weekend.

Without her kit, her dreams of competing were ‘hanging by a thread’, her family said.

But in an ‘unbelievable’ stroke of luck the kit was discovered by a fellow windsurfer.

Hazel Shaw, Bryony’s mum, said the family had been contacted by police on Thursday evening to say the kit had been found, after a windsurfer brought some kit at a car boot sale.

After getting it home, unpacking it and seeing the GBR 94 on the sail, the windsurfer did a web search and found it was Bryony’s. He then saw the Dorset Echo article on the stolen gear and immediately called the police, Mrs Shaw said.

Mrs Shaw has been in contact with the kind-hearted windsurfer and is hoping to pick up the kit next week. She thanked windsurfer and the Dorset Echo and its readers for all their help.

Bryony tweeted her thanks, saying: “Unbelievable good luck. My RSX kit has been found. A local windsurfer found it all at a boot sale. Thank you Dorset Echo for helping.”

Dorset Police are continuing their investigation into the theft of the kit. A force spokesman said: “No one has been arrested as yet and the investigation is continuing to find the offender.”

Anyone with information about the theft can call the police on 101 quoting incident number 28-103.