A clinical support worker at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital has been selected for Team GB's rowing development squad.
Sam Redgrave, a member of Norwich Rowing Club and a University of East Anglia (UEA) graduate, travelled to London last month for gruelling trials for the Team GB rowing squad.
She competed against some of the best up and coming rowers in the country as well as established athletes from the existing GB team.
In time trials she finished second in her group, and 14th in a category alongside Olympic sliver medalist Vicky Thornley, which was enough to earn her a place on the development squad.
Ms Redgrave was born in Newcastle, and grew up in Essex, before moving to Norwich to study chemistry at UEA, where she discovered a passion for rowing.
Five years later Ms Redgrave trains around 16 hours a week, but also works as a clinical support worker in the NNUH's acute medical unit, supporting clinical staff by taking bloods, cannulas, ECGs, and a variety of other tasks which help to support nursing staff.
On her selection Ms Redgrave said: "It's a really exciting opportunity and something that will open up a lot of doors and offer new experiences for me.
"I train hard every day but I don't think I could compete at this level without the support of my friends and fellow rowers and Norwich Rowing Club, so I'd like to say a massive thank you to everyone there as well."
Ms Redgrave has already represented England at the Home International Regatta in Cork last year, where she raced for the Senior Women's team and helped England to victory over Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
She also finished second in the aspirational category at the world-famous Henley Women's Regatta in June 2018. However she said becoming a member of the Team GB development squad was by far the most exciting development of her rowing career to date.
The Team GB development squad nurtures talent for the future, with rowers competing to become the next fully fledged members of Team GB.
On May 11 and 12 Ms Redgrave will fly to Duisburg, Germany to race in an international regatta alongside her fellow development squad athletes, and hopefully take the first steps towards one day representing Great Britain.
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