Skipton archer Danielle Brown almost missed out on making history – but the Paralympic gold medalist is now celebrating an extraordinary week of achievements.

On Thursday, she became what is believed to be the first Paralympic athlete to be selected for England in an able-bodied event in the Commonwealth Games, which take place in Delhi in October.

And yesterday Brown discovered she had graduated with a first in law from Leicester University, proving emphatically she was right to struggle to juggle her twin passions – though archery almost paid a heavy price.

Brown, who won gold in the women’s compound class in Beijing, said: “A few weeks ago I was 100 per cent certain I wasn’t going to turn up for the Commonwealth Games trials.

“My studying had come second for too long and I didn’t think I had much of a chance anyway. I was at training camp in Arizona and I didn’t see the point in flying back, getting jetlagged and probably finishing last.

“But my boyfriend persuaded me to have a go. He told me it was a once in lifetime opportunity. I scored two personal bests and qualified second behind Nicky Hunt. It is amazing to think I will be going to Delhi.”

However, Brown – who suffers from reflex sympathetic dystrophy, which affects her ability to stand and means she needs to shoot propped up on a stool – does not accept that her achievement is particularly historic.

She said: “I’ve never really viewed it as much of a difference. I don’t factor in my disability when I’m in with the able-bodied guys. It’s much the same really. It’s just fantastic to be part of this calibre of competition.”

Archery is making its return to the Commonwealth Games for the first time since 1982. Also in the strong England team is veteran Alison Williamson, who claimed an Olympic bronze medal in Athens.

Brown took up the sport at the age of 15 after her disability forced her to seek out other ways to secure a top-level sporting future. Besides her Beijing success, she also won two gold medals on her debut World Championship appearance in Korea.

She said: “I quickly improved after starting the sport and I deferred my law degree to concentrate on being successful. It seems to have paid off now and I will be training full-time in the run-up to Delhi.”

Brown’s biggest goal is the 2012 Paralympics in London – although she will be prevented from staging a similar bid to make the able-bodied Olympic team as her compound discipline is not a part of the full Olympic programme.

She said: “London is the biggest thing for any British athlete and in the long-term that is what I am concentrating on. To repeat what I did in Beijing would be amazing but for now I am relishing the chance to go to Delhi.”