World and two-time European champions Gregg Stevenson and Lauren Rowles maintained their unbeaten run in the PR2 mixed double sculls (PR2 Mix 2x) on Sunday in Poznan, Poland on the last day of racing at World Rowing Cup III.
As the curtain came down on the final racing before this summer’s Paralympic Games, Gregg - former Lead Physical Training Instructor and Mental Health Practitioner at the Trust's Specialist Rehabilitation Centre (SMRC) - and Lauren crossed the finish line over six seconds ahead of Germany.
The pair will soon be heading to camp to focus on their final preparations for Paris, going into the greatest show on Earth as favourites for the gold medal.
Gregg said: “We’re expected to win now, so there has been different pressure for me this season, but I enjoy that pressure.
“We’ve been on an intensive training block where we’ve worked really hard - when Lauren is the boss you’ve got to work hard!
“We enjoy racing with and for each other so it’s a really good combination.”
Lauren added: “We always go out to win, we won’t settle for anything less at this stage of our careers, and after the winning streak that we’re having.
“Today we wanted to go out, work as hard as we could, get that marker down before Paris and see what work we have left to do.
“It’s nice to be out here as I’ve never won in Poland before, so I had some wrongs to put right! Today I wanted to go out there and leave Poznan with a gold medal.”
Remarkably, Gregg, a former Royal Engineer from Foulridge, remains unbeaten in what is only his second year in the boat. His journey began in 2009 when he was referred to the SMRC, after losing both his legs to an IED blast while on patrol in Helmand Province.
He went on to work at the centre, based at Preston Business Centre on Watling Street Road, and still makes regular trips to from East Lancashire for support with his prosthetics.
Having taken up rowing in 2012, Gregg was part of the trials process for the Invictus Games, but decided to row with the GB Paralympic programme, and was close to making GB’s para-rowing team for the 2016 Paralympics, before stepping away from the sport, and then being tempted back in 2022.
After a remarkable first season, Gregg was voted by GB Rowing’s current and former World Class Programme athletes as their Athlete of the Year.
