Ollie Lees selected for GB rowing squad

Shoreham Rowing Club are once again making waves on the international scene. Ollie Lees, 18, who learnt to row at Shoreham has been selected to represent Great Britain at the European Junior Championships – the Coupe de La Jeunesse, which take place in Lucerne, Switzerland in two weeks time.

Ollie already has a number of prestigious accolades; being invited to row for Leander Club (an invite only elite rowing club, widely agreed to be the best in the world) and winning medals at elite level at both Met Regatta and Marlow regatta earlier this summer.

His selection into the GB junior international squad, is the reward for years of tough training and proof that there really is no substitute for hard work. Despite his young age, Ollie currently sits atop all leader boards at Shoreham Rowing Club, with not even the older rowers being able to beat his 2,000m time of 6mins 23seconds on the indoor rowing machines. Especially impressive as his weight, at under 85kg, is relatively light for a heavyweight rower.

Club captain Sarah Povey says ‘Ollie’s determination to succeed and his commitment to his training is a real inspiration, especially to our current junior members. We are all extremely proud of him’.

Ollie will sit in the stroke seat of a coxless quad scull, along with three other youngsters aiming for victory against hopefuls from across Europe.

Ollie is the latest in a line of young rowers who have started rowing at Shoreham and have gone onto compete at international level. Earlier this year Shoreham’s Ben Board won gold in the lightweight double sculls at the 2013 Australian Youth Olympic Festival Olympics in Sydney and  Emma Young won a bronze medal racing in a coxless four at the 2006 Coupe de la Jeunesse held in Amsterdam.