11 March 2024 , 17:00
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Paris was never part of Gregg Stevenson’s plans until a year ago but now the rower is determined to come back with Paralympic gold.
While the road to the Paris Paralympics for many has been paved by years of painstaking planning, Stevenson’s was only set into motion last year by a call from doubles partner Lauren Rowles.
It was a leap of faith for the 39-year-old father-of-two, who knew it would require balancing home life in the North West with the demands of elite sport at British Rowing’s base in Caversham, as well as giving up his full-time job as an NHS mental health practitioner.
But world and European gold medals, plus a word record in the PR2 mixed doubles and a guaranteed ticket to Paris, provided early assurances that the 39-year-old had made the right call and six months away from the Games, there is no looking back.
“Last year it was just an exciting project,” said Stevenson. “I got the call from Lauren to say, ‘Do you fancy getting back in the boat’ and we weren’t too sure how it would go.
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“We knew we could perform well, we rowed before previously so knew we could hit some numbers, but it would be a fairytale to say we knew we were going to win the European and worlds. We learned so much about each other, about the boat, about our disabilities.
“We are the number one seed boat, we have got the world record, we are world champions so I think we would be doing ourselves a disservice if we weren’t quite bullish about our expectations. We are going to try and win.”
A call from Lauren Rowles (left) set the wheels in motion for Gregg Stevenson's return to the Paralympic picture (Bertie Shoots)Stevenson may have only been on his current journey for little more than a year, but the double amputee - who lost both his legs serving in Afghanistan in 2009 - is no rowing newcomer.
The former Commando first turned his hand to the sport as part of his readjustment to civilian life but failed to make the cut for Rio 2016. Stevenson’s time away from the boat proved a successful tonic, with the 39-year-old admitting he is better off for his time on dry land.
“The stars didn’t align like they have this time,” he reflected. “I didn’t feel like I was able to achieve what I wanted to so I took a step back, which in hindsight was really useful because I could work on myself a little bit.
Double amputee Gregg Stevenson lost both his legs serving in Afghanistan in 2009
Gregg Stevenson (left) wants to use his platform to 'represent the veteran community in a positive light'“I was almost trying too hard the first time whereas this time, the seat was free, there was a lot of expectation and pressure on me to get the boat up to speed but there was space for me to make mistakes.
“I am really happy to say that I have enjoyed the experience [of returning]. There are a lot of commitments and that’s the hardest thing.
“I have always been competitive, that’s the easy bit but the hard things are being away from family, giving up my full-time job and the ambitions I had within that but the sense of reward that has come with taking the opportunity has just been so exciting.”
Stevenson’s new life has only been possible thanks to support from The National Lottery, which enabled him to give up his job and funds trips up and down the country. It is funding for which Stevenson is truly grateful and he hopes he can use his stage this summer to inspire others, including the veteran community and his two sons.
“I am so grateful to The National Lottery for the opportunity,” he added. “Without that income, I wouldn’t be able to do it. That’s not to pull on any heartstrings, it’s just the reality of Paralympic sport and sport in general.
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“It is about representing the veteran community in a positive light. It is not just about me; it is about the whole community pushing somebody on and understanding those raw attributes I brought to the party and them helping me become an elite athlete.
"I think my boys are inspired, they have seen the work ethic that has to go into it, they have seen the commitment. It is about knuckling down and really taking this seriously. It’s the level of dedication it takes, and I think that’s why I have taken so much from this journey, it really is no nonsense.
"If we can keep up this intensity, we can do something really special."
National Lottery players raise more than £30million a week for good causes including vital funding into sport – from grassroots to elite. Find out how your numbers make amazing happen at: www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk #TNLAthletes #MakeAmazingHappen