Rowers reveal secret of their success was going on the wagon together

 
(L-R) Pamela Relph and Naomi Riches of Great Britain's Mixed Coxed Four Rowing
Miranda Bryant3 September 2012

Britain's gold medal-winning rowing crew gave up alcohol for months in order to get an edge over their rivals.

The mixed coxed fours — who have been undefeated since the crew was formed last year — beat Germany in a dramatic head-to-head yesterday at Eton Dorney, where they were cheered on by four-time gold medallist Matthew Pinsent.

Naomi Riches, 29, Pamela Relph, 22, cox Lily van den Broecke, 20, David Smith, 34, and James Roe, 24, revealed that they had not touched alcohol for five months to ensure that they were on their best form.

Relph, from Aylesbury and now living in Caversham, cried on the podium as the team were given their medals. She said: “I wouldn’t necessarily see it as a sacrifice, but all of our crew made the decision to be teetotal for the last four or five months.”

She began rowing after being rejected for a military scholarship scheme because arthritis had fused her joints.

She said: “If someone had told me two years ago that I would be performing at the Paralympics I would say that someone got something wrong.”

Riches, from Harrow, is partially sighted and was headhunted at university.

She said: “The only thing you really miss out on is that you can’t go to your friends’ weddings because you’ve got training or a competition, but that’s what Facebook’s for, to look at the pictures. I’ve got 40 years to do all of that.”

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