Jess Eddie returns

Olympic silver medallist Jess Eddie called in at Durham Amateur Rowing Club on Saturday to show the medal she won in Rio to members of the club where she started her rowing career.

Now based in London Jess had spent the last week touring the north-east with fellow Great Britain rowing squad member Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell, visiting schools and clubs and inspiring the next generation of athletes.

Jess was a member of the GB Women’s Eight who took silver in Rio on the final day of the rowing competition at Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, taking part in her third Olympic Games. Now 31 she went to St Leonard’s School in Durham and took up rowing at the age of eight, achieving success with Durham ARC Juniors and representing Great Britain in the World Junior Championships in 2001 while a member of the Club’s Juniors squad.

In 2013 Durham ARC named a lightweight Eight ‘Jessica Eddie’ in her honour, which she officially launched in October of that year.

A banner was unveiled to mark the occasion of Saturday’s visit. After a welcome from Durham ARC President Ian Shepherd Jess addressed the assembled members and spent an hour or so chatting to the current Juniors squad.

This was followed by scratch 8s races for seniors and quads for juniors. Three eights and 4 quads enjoyed some friendly competition before retiring to the clubhouse for a BBQ lunch.

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