Colne rower Gregg Stevenson says that a good luck message from the Burnley first-team squad inspired him to break the world record in the first round of the Paralympics.

Stevenson, a season ticket holder at Turf Moor, received a heartwarming video message that featured Jordan Beyer, CJ Egan-Riley, Bashir Humphreys, Josh Brownhill, Vitinho, Jay Rodriguez and Josh Cullen.

“It’s the highlight of my entire life,” said Stevenson. "Really cool. I'm a season ticketholder, so when I'm not rowing I'm there with my boys. Pretty surreal.

"I'm always wearing my Burnley hat when I can, and I've got a northern (English) accent, so it's very cool."

Buoyed by the gesture from his boyhood club, the 39-year-old combined with rowing partner Lauren Rowles to set a new world best time of 7:56.92 in the heats at the Games.

It was the first time, too, that Stevenson’s wife Mel and two kids Jack and Harry, aged nine and 12, have watched him race at an international regatta.

“I’m finally a Paralympian now - I’ve done it,” he said. “It’s mega, unbelievable, especially having a crowd here. The last few days have been phenomenal, and I’ve really enjoyed it.”

In their previous ten international races together, Rowles and Stevenson had never failed to cross the line first and set three new world best times in the process.

They were actually lying in second place after the first 500 metres of the 2000m Games course at Vaires-sur-Marne, where racing was delayed by an hour due to thunder and lightning.

Buoyed by a home crowd, the French pair of Benjamin Daviet and Perle Bouge made a fast start, but they were soon overhauled by a surge from the British boat.

The reigning world and European champions opened up a cavernous lead and kept pushing to shatter their previous world best time by more than three seconds and win the race by more than ten seconds.

“We’ve been promising the fans and our partners that we’d come out and set a world record,” said Rowles, who is one of over 1,000 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme, allowing them to train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering medical support – which has been vital on their pathway to the Paris 2024 Games. 

“We’ve been saying sub-eight for a long time now and it’s nice to deliver on that today, it’s what we’ve been trying to do in the last couple of years.

“Personally, I’ve been working in the last ten years to do a sub-eight minutes and push this field out to where it has never been before.”

Stevenson and Rowles have their sights set on even more sporting history in Sunday’s final where double champion Rowles can become the first female rower to win three Paralympic titles.

“Our goal was to deliver a world best and then that gold medal,” said Rowles.

“It’s all about going out, winning that race, and continuing the legacy of this boat. I can’t wait to get out there and do it with Greg.”

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