Indeed, it's one of the nice things about Thames that we range from complete beginners to Olympic medallists - it's a real fillip for those who are just starting out in the sport to know that they are rowing under the same colours as these people.  We are also bracing ourselves for a post-Olympic surge of interest! It's inevitable that national team members train elsewhere so we don't see that much of them.  However Elise, Ali and Beth (and Baz, who hasn't made the team this year but got a World Bronze last year) have all made a real effort to involve themselves in the life of the club and have many friends amongst the club-level rowers. Elise has been rowing at Thames since around 1994, working her way up through club rowing before making her Olympic debut in Sydney.  She's on the small side for an international rower and has made the squad or rowing skill and guts rather than brute strength.  She's fought back against injury, illness and a horrible incident just after the Athens Games when she was knocked off her bike at speed by a hit-and-run white-van driver.  Knowlesy has had a similar fight against back injury, knee injury and seemingly endless viruses. They all plug away in a very unglamorous life shuttling between rowing lakes, rivers and gyms, working hours for tiny but crucial improvements in technique, strength and endurance.  Even though much of the winter is spent abroad in warm-weather training, I know from talking to them that the novelty of this wears off very quickly - it definitely isn't a holiday! All the while they are scrutinised by coaches and other support staff who are of course supportive but also harsh and demanding critics.  One of the eye-openers for me was watching a session at Thames where the girls did a number of intense pieces on the rowing sessions, and after each one had blood pricked from their ears to measure their lactic acid levels. The most striking things for me are how no-nonsense they are about it all and how all-encompassing the life is.  Of course they relax, but they are never really off-duty and are always focused on the ultimate goal.  I'm perhaps more of a women's squad 'groupie' than most at Thames but I do feel very proud of these girls. All being well, Elise (in the double with Anna Bebington of Leander) and Ali and Beth in the eight will reach their respective finals.  After that, who knows?  We shall be watching the finals over breakfast at Thames and hoping for medals!

Entire Thread

Topic	Date Posted	Posted By
Local Putney Olympians!	07/08/08 13:13:00	John Gorst
Re:Local Putney Olympians!	07/08/08 19:40:00	Sue Riggs
Re:Local Putney Olympians!	08/08/08 15:49:00	James Elder
Re:Local Putney Olympians!	14/08/08 23:00:00	James Elder
Re:Re:Local Putney Olympians!	15/08/08 10:28:00	James Elder
Re:Re:Re:Local Putney Olympians!	15/08/08 10:42:00	John Gorst
Re:Re:Re:Re:Local Putney Olympians!	15/08/08 10:46:00	John Gorst
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Local Putney Olympians!	15/08/08 20:01:00	Sue Riggs
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Local Putney Olympians!	16/08/08 18:37:00	Sue Riggs
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Local Putney Olympians!	16/08/08 18:42:00	James Elder
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Local Putney Olympians!	16/08/08 18:37:00	Sue Riggs

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