The rain is spearing the lake, the temperature is toiling to get into double figures and David Smith surveys the bleak scene knowing he has 18 kilometres to row.
His overwhelming emotion is one of joy.
That the former Great Britain bobsleigher is on the shores of the Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake in Caversham at all is something he can barely comprehend. In two months, he will be going for gold for Great Britain in the mixed coxed four at the Paralympics alongside James Roe, Pamela Relph, Naomi Riches and cox Lily van den Broecke. As world champions, the expectation will be huge.
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