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Rachel Clayton

Sport: Rowing

Age: 22

Club: Minerva Rowing Club, Bath

Key achievements:

She qualified for the Great Britain Development Squad via the Sporting Giants programme.

Sporting ambition:

She hopes to compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Photo of Great Britain rower Rachel Clayton

Rachel took advantage of an opportunity to become a Sporting Giant in February 2007 and has not looked back since.

The Sporting Giants initiative searched the country for men over six feet three inches and women over five feet eleven inches.

Anyone meeting these entry criteria was then assessed for their suitability for rowing, handball and volleyball.

Rachel was one of 500 applicants to make it through the assessment and was then one of 60 rowers to qualify for a further assessment day at the lake at Holme Pierrepont, the National Watersports Centre near Nottingham.

In October 2007 Rachel learned she had been successful as one of 20 rowers selected for Britain’s World Class Start and Potential Rowing Programme.

Rachel, who had been a keen horse rider and rugby player for Cheltenham Ladies, had never done any rowing before attending the Sporting Giants roadshow. The initiative’s aim was to find hidden talent like Rachel who had never had the chance to try rowing before the roadshow.

Rachel is now part of the training squad and is looking forward to the expert coaching and advice she'll be getting and seeing how good she can be.

Photo of Medway athlete Rachel Clayton rowing