Rachel Morris reveals Katherine Grainger inspiration after Paralympic gold
By Dev Trehan
Last Updated: 13/09/16 1:34pm
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.
"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."
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.
"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
