Olympics

Shunyi Rowing Lake

Paralympic rowing gold medallist - that doesn't sound too bad, does it?

Since I've arrived in Beijing, the days have flown by but after winning my heat on Tuesday, my day off yesterday did drag a little as I got ready to compete.

I had to try to keep the race out of my mind and I was nervous when I woke up this morning because I knew I could have a long wait. I tried to keep nerves down to a minimum but I was still feeling the pressure.

It was a difficult race out there, both with the competition I was up against and the conditions I was racing in.

With the first Paralympic rowing competition starting on Tuesday, all of the hard work has now been done and we are now putting in the final touches to make sure we are 100% prepared for what lies ahead.

We have been in Beijing since last weekend and I have been really impressed by the scale of the village.

The biggest event I had competed in before the Paralympics was the World Rowing Championships but this is massive, although it seems really well organised and the facilities have been impressive.

I have always been interested in sport and started rowing to keep fit after suffering a serious spinal injury in an accident which left me paralysed in 2005.

My first major competition was the 2006 Indoor Rowing Championship and the next year I started rowing on the water.

In 2007 I won the men's arms-only single sculls event at the World Championships in Munich and I have lowered my world best time twice already this year.

Rowing makes its Paralympic debut in Beijing, as do I, and I am hoping for success on the Shunyi rowing lake.