RACHEL Morris cannot shake the cycling bug, but she believes it has complemented her bid for rowing glory at the Rio Paralympics.
The 37-year-old from Farnham won time-trial gold in 2008 and road race bronze in 2012 as a hand-cyclist, before switching to the boat.
She has been cycling on a stationary bike ahead of her first Paralympics as a rower.
“I’ve found it has enhanced my rowing and having switched to rowing, my cycling is now stronger for it,” Morris said.
“Having that balance of cross-training works for me. With rowing you’re using the back of your shoulders so much and in hand-cycling you’re using the front of your shoulders.
“It allows my shoulders to stay a lot more stable.”
Kadeena Cox is competing in athletics and cycling at Rio 2016 and Morris would like to have done both sports, if the circumstances had been right.
“I would’ve loved to have done it,” said Morris, who transferred sports in 2013.
“If it had been a few years before, as I left cycling, I probably would have opted to do both.”
Morris, who had her legs amputated following complex regional pain syndrome, had high hopes for London 2012, but was struck by a car while training as the Games approached.
Her preparation for Rio has been more straightforward.
“It’s been a lot smoother. I definitely wouldn’t choose to be hit by a car six weeks out again,” she added.
“I’ve been on turbo trainers for the last six months in an attempt to stay safe.”
Morris will compete at Lagoa and is aiming for a podium place in the arms-shoulders women’s single scull final on Sunday’s fourth day of the Games.
She won World Championship silver last year and took World Cup gold in Poznan in June in a world-best time over the 1000 metres Paralympic distance.
She knows her rivals will be determined to beat her in Rio. “By coming in as a relative newcomer and getting to the top, in some ways it makes it more dangerous,” Morris added. “If somebody had come in and done that in cycling I’d dig even deeper in training to be even better.”
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