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Perfect ten for rower Frances
(18 June 2008)
Gifted sports student, Frances Fletcher, is one of 3500 Durham students to graduate this week.
Frances leaves Durham University not only with her degree but with an incredible ten gold medals to her name from the British Universities Sports Association (BUSA). In the space of just nine months, Frances, who hails from Chester-le-Street, has taken home an unprecedented ten gold BUSA rowing medals, to add to her array of over 100 other rowing awards. Frances, who will graduate next week with a sports degree, began rowing as a hobby when she was 12. At 16 she began to train more seriously, joining Tyne Rowing Club as a junior where she trained under Durham University’s high-performance programme. After training for only a few months, she won her first international gold medal in the 2004 ‘Coupe de la Jeunesse’, the European rowing competition for juniors. Now at only 20 years of age, Frances has already twice represented Great Britain in the ‘World Under-23 Championships’, as well as at the ‘World Universities Regatta’ in 2006, the ‘European Universities Regatta’ in 2006 and the ‘Youth Olympics’ in 2007. This year she has already won the ‘Great Britain Under-23 World Championship trials’ and looks set for another successful summer. After graduating, Frances aims to succeed in the ‘Under-23 World Championships’ and is hopeful that she may make it to the 2012 Olympics. Frances, of Park Road Central, Chester-le-Street, commented: “My time at Durham has allowed me to realise my rowing potential. It has helped me to develop as a person and grow in confidence. “I trust in the rowing programme and coaching set up at team Durham so I train hard and expect to win. I now feel that with hard work and careful planning I can be successful in anything I do.” Director of Sport, Dr Peter Warburton said: “Frances will undoubtedly see her success on the European and World stage as being her greatest achievement. “However, her ten championship gold medals, achieved in one year, in British University Sport is almost certainly unique and is without question the most impressive performance ever achieved by a Durham athlete. We are all very proud of her.” Frances, who attended St Cuthbert’s College, graduates on Wednesday, 25 June 2008. As is tradition, the ceremonies will be held in Durham Cathedral. Durham is one of the UK’s top universities for sport and is ranked fourth in the BUSA sports league.
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