ERICA BODMAN has earned herself the right for a trial for the full Great Britain international women’s rowing squads.

It follows a major personal best performance on the ergometer at a GB under-23 training weekend at the Redgrave and Pinsent Rowing Lake in Caversham, the centre of GB rowing.

‘We did 2k erg tests on the Saturday morning and I got a 4.4 second PB with a time of 7min. 04.5sec.

‘I was really pleased with this as 7-05 is the time required to trial for the senior team. However, as I still have more than a year left as an under-23 it is really encouraging,’ said the three-times Island Games high jump champion who turned to rowing after a persistent foot injury curtailed her athletics career.

One man who was very impressed by the news of Bodman’s new best time, is fitness guru and rower Colin Fallaize.

‘That’s impressive stuff,’ said Fallaize. ‘It’a tough old sport and in terms of fitness, it’s right up there,’ he added.

The 21-year-old trainee teacher remains optimistic about her future in rowing.