Lancashire Teaching Hospitals’ employee goes for gold in Paralympics

Paralympian Gregg Stevenson. Pic: Benedict Tufnell for British Rowing

A man who worked at Preston’s Lancashire Teaching Hospitals’ Specialist Mobility Rehabilitation Centre (SMRC) is a favourite for gold in the Paralympics.

Gregg Stevenson, 39, is medalling at the Paralympics in Paris with rowing partner Lauren Rowles in the PR2 mixed double sculls.

He is a former Royal Engineer Commando who worked at the Trust as the lead physical training instructor and mental health practitioner.

He was referred to the centre after losing both his legs to an IED blast while on patrol in 2009.

Gregg still makes regular trips for support with his prosthetics and has worked closely with SMRC in the build-up to the games with the centre helping with his training, including the creation of a cycling leg.

Gregg, from Foulridge, and Lauren go into the Games as reigning World and European champions. He’s aiming to bring back a gold medal to showcase the work done at SMRC.

Gregg said: “It would mean a lot to win any medal, especially gold – for the centre, and the people who supported me right the way through it all.

“For the work I’ve done here at SMRC, the story, and how passionate I am about physical activity, especially for people with disabilities, with some of the health inequalities we experience in Lancashire – it would be a great symbol of all that coming together and something we can all be proud of.”

Having taken up rowing in 2012, Gregg has been with GB Rowing since December 2018, training in Caversham near Reading.

Gregg and Lauren qualified for the Paralympics last year, while also becoming European and World Champions, setting a world record in an undefeated season.

The heats will take place on 31 August with the final on 1 September.

Gregg added: “We’re confident we can go there and deliver a performance, we’re both in good shape physically. We just want to go there and do what we do best.

“My visualisation is to just try and do what we’ve done in our previous races, when it starts to hurt a bit, we know – push on and get over the line!”

“I feel good, I’ve been looking after my body, living a spartan, boring lifestyle, in bed at 9:30pm every night, eating right, taking care of the things that could easily unfold.

“There are probably some nerves there but I’m just trying to be realistic in my approach. I feel like I’ve done a lot of racing, so we have a good routine, we know our warmup like the back of our hand, and I have the experience of Lauren as well.”

Gregg is married to Melanie, who will be watching the race in person for the first time alongside their two boys aged 11 and nine.

The Paralympic Games began on Wednesday 28 August and you will be able to watch on Channel 4.

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