Iona Riley was hooked on rowing from the moment that the former Kingsford Primary School pupil was first taken to Aberdeen Boating Club.
"I loved it, I have been involved in the sport ever since that day, and I spent six years with the Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association," Riley told STV, fresh from returning from the World Under-23 Championships in Lithuania. "I received a lot of help from various coaches and teachers and it is terrific that I am now involved with Team GB."
The British selectors have high hopes for Riley, who is still only 20, but should be reaching her peak by the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. And, befitting the country which has produced such luminaries as Katherine Grainger and Heather Stanning, Riley possesses the same relentless work ethic and loathing for defeat as her senior counterparts.
"It was gutting at the Worlds, because we were in second place [in the women's eight] final, and we ended up being pipped by Germany and the Netherlands in the closing stages, which was pretty disappointing," said Riley, who is competing in Wales this weekend.
"But the positive thing about the competition was that four or five of us in the GB ranks are only around 20, so we should have another couple of years at this level, and our aim will be to learn from our experience in Lithuania and improve on it on the future."
In common with many of her compatriots, Riley will be watching the London Olympics and keeping her fingers crossed for Grainger, who is seeking an elusive Games gold.
"I hope she does it and she definitely has the talent to win it," declared Riley. "Katherine has been a great ambassador for British rowing and she deserves everything she gets."
One suspects we will be saying the same about Riley in the years ahead!
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