Olympian given emotional homecoming at rowing club

Esme Booth was welcomed back to her club on Sunday after winning a silver medal at the Olympics

Celebrations have been held at a boat club as Olympian Esme Booth was welcomed back.

The athlete helped her rowing team to win silver in the final of the women's four in Paris earlier this summer.

Crowds turned out to show their appreciation and there were emotional celebrations as she returned to her home club in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.

"It feels amazing," she said. "It's been so nice coming home and sharing it with people and hopefully inspiring people to get out and get rowing."

Crowds applauded as she arrived with her medal

More than 60 boys and girls aged 13 to 18 train at the club and members said she was a role model.

"We are a small club but it just shows you - if you work hard, put the time and effort in and you've got that commitment, not just to your sport but with your education, you can do anything," Dawson Curnoch, club chairman, said.

Ms Booth said she got into the sport by taking part in a competition by chance when she was at primary school.

"We ended up coming like, second in the country or something amazing and mum's even kept the letter from school newsletter from 2010 and I was like 'I actually really enjoy this rowing thing and I can do it'," she said.

"So my mum came down to Stratford boat club and said 'my daughter really wants to row, she really wants to sign up' so I signed myself up and here I am, however many years later."

Her mother Clare said she was very proud of her.

"To have a silver medal and to be an Olympian you know, to be in the Olympics is phenomenal," she said.

Ms Booth said she wanted to encourage as many people as possible to get into the sport she loves

Her former teachers said she was not a good runner but she "shone" at rowing.

"You just do your bit as teachers don't you," Spencer Foyle and Bob Macvie said.

"[You] sort of give kids an opportunity, introduce them to things and the rest is up to them.

"She couldn't catch, she wasn't a very good runner but at rowing she just shone."

Before turning her focus to the 2028 Olympics, Ms Booth said she wanted to encourage people from all abilities and backgrounds to try the sport she loves so much.