Video: Golden archer Danielle Brown makes Games history

The 22 year-old, who hails from Lothersdale, near Skipton, yesterday became the first Paralympian to claim Commonwealth gold by winning the team compound archery competition.

Gutsy Brown, who suffers from reflex sympathetic dystrophy which causes chronic pain in her feet, is bidding to put all the commotion of her remarkable triumph behind her to prepare for the individual event where she faces Australia's Fiona Hyde in the quarter-finals.

"I didn't think it was possible to come here," she admitted, having cast her crutches aside and declined a wheelchair to reach the podium unaided alongside victorious England team-mates Nicky Hunt and Nichola Simpson.

"I wasn't even going to go to the selection trials but I was persuaded to go and give it a try and I'm glad I did.

"The standard of competition in British archery is first-class. I've shocked myself with how well I've done."

Brown should not have been. She played a crucial part to help edge Canada 232-229 – just a single point away from equalling a new world record – in a compelling contest, matching her achievement in the individual compound at the Beijing Paralympics two years ago.

"The standard in the women's team compound was phenomenal," she added.

"We nearly broke the world record but we have still just about won the game; that shows you the strength of the Canadian team.

"You try not to look at what the score is, though, when you are out there on the field.

"You just try and block them out so, with that in mind, it was really a bit of a shock to find out we were so close to the world record."

Brown had already become the first disabled athlete to represent England in able-bodied competition at a Commonwealth Games and conceded the media frenzy yesterday had been daunting.

"I felt under pressure at the start," said the international, who first took up the sport at Aire Valley Archers in Keighley and Skipton after being diagnosed with the condition as a 13-year-old.

"I was hitting some of my arrows low and every time I turned round there was a bank of cameras trained on me which was kind of hard to get used to."

Brown will tomorrow try and repeat her heroics by completing the double as her stunning rise continues.

"The Paralympics was amazing and it was my first big competition," she recalled.

"But winning here against able-bodied competitors is equally awesome.

"I don't rank one achievement higher than the other.

"I have never ever really thought about myself being the first disabled athlete to compete for England at a Commonwealth Games in an able-bodied event.

"I just got on with things and concentrated on doing that and never thought of it in those terms. There has been quite a lot of media interest and it is that that has opened my eyes to it.

"I feel part of this team and the girls have made me feel so welcome that I couldn't have asked for any more than this at the moment."

Brown, who has recently completed a law degree, showed great determination to reach the podium but admitted she lost all the nerveless composure that had defined her success when preparing to sing the national anthem.

"I stayed up all night learning the words to Jerusalem and I had it down to a tee," she explained.

"I thought I was completely ready for it but as soon as I got on the podium my brain just scrambled and I couldn't remember a thing when the anthem started playing."

Someone left unsurprised by Brown's splendid achievement yesterday was Aire Valley Archers chairman Ian Metcalfe.

"When she first started, Danni came to a lot of shoots with us and we dragged her all over," he recalled.

"She was hopeless back then! But, once she changed her bow style, she got better and better fairly rapidly.

"It's great to see what she has achieved especially considering her disabilities.

"When she says she's going to do something, Danni goes and does it."

Metcalfe is confident his former club-mate can overcome Hyde and go all the way to tomorrow's final as well.

"With Danni, mentally she's strong enough to cope with the shoot and there's no reason why she can't do anything she wants," he added.

"It'll be interesting to see what happens but she is so determined and has achieved far more than anyone else at our club ever before."