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Rachel Morris reveals Katherine Grainger inspiration after Paralympic gold

Great Britain's Rachel Morris celebrates on the podium with her gold medal in the AS Women's Single Sculls at the Lagoa Stadium during the fourth day of th
Image: Rachel Morris celebrates on the podium after winning rowing gold

Double Paralympic champion Rachel Morris has found the transition to rowing challenging but insists it has all been worthwhile.

Morris won Paralympic rowing gold in Rio in the arms-shoulders single sculls jut three years after taking up rowing. The 37-year-old won time trial gold at Beijing 2008 and road race bronze at London 2012 as a hand-cyclist.

"It has been a really tough transition, probably a lot harder than I expected it to be," Morris told Tuesday's Sportswomen show on Sky Sports News HQ, live from Rio.

Paralympics GB cyclist Rachel Morris
Image: Rachel Morris won Paralympic gold as a cyclist in Beijing

"Going from a sport that didn't have so much of a technical element to learning a new sport from scratch - and to such a high level - in such a short space of time put a lot of pressure on me.

"But equally it's been the most incredible transition. It's something I'm really pleased to have done and obviously it has now paid off."

Katherine Grainger takes silver at Rio Olympics
Image: Katherine Grainger has a gold medal and four Olympic silvers to her name

Morris revealed rower Katherine Grainger, who became Britain's most decorated female Olympian after winning her fifth Olympic medal at her fifth Games in Rio, has been an inspiration and played a part in her decision to take up rowing.

"Katherine Grainger has been fantastic. She has been really friendly and really good at passing on her knowledge." Morris said.

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"She's been absolutely brilliant as have the whole squad. Both the Para and the Olympic teams work well alongside each other."

Tune into Sportswomen every Tuesday at 11.30am on Sky Sports News HQ

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