A ROWER from Somerset has won a bronze medal in this year’s Olympics in Paris after beating out some big nations including at ‘death’ qualifiers earlier this year.

Becky Wilde, 26, was born in Trull and competed in the women’s double scull this year with rowing partner Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne, 29.

Holding the silver medal position for most of the race, the duo representing Team GB fell just short of second to Romania but did well to beat out the Netherlands.

After the race, Wilde said: “I had the support of so many great people behind me. I have learnt so much and I know if I do my job, she (Mathilda) will get me over the line.

“It will take a long time to sink in, it was amazing. It is so many years of hard work as I have always dreamed of coming here to the Olympics.”

This was only her third international tournament and her debut Olympics.

The racing partners had to overcome a lot of challenges to reach Paris with both rowers labelling their appearance at this year’s Olympics as “a bit of a shock.”

Wilde and Hodgkins Byrne had to qualify for the Olympics through a series of gruelling qualifiers in May where they competed in Lucerne, Switzerland.

The qualifiers in Switzerland are known as the ‘Regatta of Death’.

Wilde was born in Trull but has a Welsh mother. After a decade in the water swimming for Wales, she switched to rowing.

Finishing third was by no means easy, as both Wilde and Hodgkins Byrne faced some huge challenges in qualifying and outside of qualifying.

Wilde’s Olympic preparations were set back last year as she picked up an injury.

She had surgery for ‘compartment syndrome’ in both her arms, a condition which causes pressure to build inside the muscles.

Luckily, she battled back to compete in Paris with her Hodgkins-Byrne, who competed in the last Olympics in Tokyo but then decided it was time for a break. The Olympian is now a mother of two-year-old son Freddie, who was watching her from the grandstand.

Wilde went to Queen's College in Taunton and was successful in competing at a high level in swimming during her time there, just before she took up rowing.

In a social media post, Queen's College said: "We are bursting with pride here at Queen's College Taunton. Your hard work, talent, and determination have paid off in such a remarkable way.

"You've shown us all what it means to aim high and achieve great things!"