'Gold medal is for everyone' - Olympic rower

Georgie Brayshaw, Lola Anderson, Hannah Scott and Lauren Henry won gold in the women's quadruple sculls

Olympic rowing champion Georgie Brayshaw has said her "gold medal is for everyone".

The 30-year-old Leeds athlete returned to the UK on Monday for the first time since her triumph in the women's quadruple sculls in Paris.

She secured gold alongside teammates Lauren Henry, Lola Anderson and Hannah Scott after a dramatic photo finish with the Netherlands - helping Team GB secure 65 medals in total.

Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds, she said: "There's been so many people involved in my journey so it's [a gold medal] for everyone."

The team clinched victory ahead of the Dutch team by just 0.15 seconds

Harrogate-born Brayshaw, who started her Team GB journey at a rowing club in Leeds, said she was happy to share the medal with people and hoped it would inspire others.

"I’ll have it on me where ever I go. It's for other people to enjoy as well.

"I hope it can inspire people and people who touch it might want one of their own one day and I hope they do."

The athlete said her Olympic success had been down to sheer determination after a childhood horse-riding accident nearly left her paralysed.

"I was in a coma for nine days and my parents were told that I'd never walk again.

"But over the years I've worked really hard to get back to initially the normal Georgie who went to school, then rowing came along nine years ago and I had to work really hard to become a high performing athlete.

"But we got there and I’m just really proud I’ve got a gold medal."

She said her triumph had just about started to sink in but the whole experience has been "so surreal".

She added: "It's been the best thing that has ever happened to me."

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