Home to a hero's welcome

3:20pm Saturday 11th October 2008

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Sunday was a special day for Andy Hodge – as precious in its way as was Saturday August 16 when he took Olympic gold and sent the nation into raptures. Special because it was a day he could spend with his mum, Liv, at the family home in Hebden.

“There was just me and mum – dad and friends had gone off to the Great North Run, so I could spend some time with her, relaxing,” said the 27-year-old.

“It’s been years since I’ve been able to potter around like that with her– that’s one of the things I’ve had to give up to pursue this goal. It was such a good time – to catch up on things and talk. I’ve had to rely on my parents – they were so helpful when I moved away. They didn’t want me to, but it was something I had to do.

“But they supported me throughout everything – going to all my races – so it was good to spend time with them this weekend. I’ve missed them.”

Andy’s life has been one whirlwind of engagements since his success in the coxless fours in Beijing. Just, in fact, like last weekend when he came back up north to be feted by Craven District Council at a reception on Saturday, visit his former schools and renew old friendships. But at least he was on old territory and could let his hair down.

First he was a guest at last Thursday’s Yorkshire Icon Awards in Headingley, Leeds, the first such event to champion the county’s inspirational figures.

Next day, it was his old prep school, Grosvenor, near Harrogate, where he went after leaving Burnsall Primary as an eight-year-old. He boarded there from aged 10 to 11 and loved every minute.

Later, it was on to Upper Wharfedale School at Threshfield, where his sport was rugby. He referred to this when he spoke at morning assembly.

“It was something of a surprise to be asked to speak, but I managed to cobble something together which I hope was an inspiration to the youngsters,” he said.

“I spoke about how everybody has the potential to be as successful as me if people make the commitment and put in the effort. I hoped what I’ve done has helped them broaden their horizons and to show that everybody can be excellent at something, but it’s about finding what it is. With me it is rowing.”

He found his sport at Staffordshire University where he went to study environmental science after spending some time at Craven College.

At first, gifted with a 6ft 5ins height, he continued playing rugby, but changed to the more abstemious culture of rowing when he learned the hard way that he didn’t quite have the head for copious consumption of alcohol.

He made amazing progress in the discipline, which continued when he went to Oxford University to study water science; he won his “blue” in the 2005 University boat race.

“I think I’m typical of a lot of people. I was never academic at school – never knew what I wanted to do. Even when I started at university, I was scared of the future,” he confessed.

“It was such a big unknown. But when I found rowing, I realised it was something I could do and enjoy. I knew how the goal of winning an Olympic gold medal could inspire people, but I never thought I could win one.

“I feel honoured to have the medal and I’m touched that what we did meant so much to the nation. Being out in Beijing meant we actually missed a lot of that national fervour.”

Saturday saw Andy at Craven Pool in Skipton as a guest of Craven District Council, where he met 12 of Craven’s future elite athletes and where he unveiled a plaque honouring his Olympic achievement. From Skipton, it was straight back to home territory in Hebden where an afternoon and evening of festivities had been arranged. Wearing his medal, he was mobbed at the village institute by about 30 youngsters all wanting to “have a go with the medal”.

In the evening, it was time for about 100 adults to meet Andy at The Clarendon. “People just kept hugging me very hard – it made me realise just how much it means to people. It was very touching,” he said.

But on a more mundane note, it gave Andy a chance to renew his acquaintance with the amber liquid. “It was great to get a taste of a good old pint of bitter. Unlike that stuff down south it had a real head and great flavour. Good old Taylor’s. It was a great night,” he said.

Before dashing off to Molesey (his club in Surrey where he is captain this year) in his 10-year-old 200,000-mile Ford Mondeo, he called in at Burnsall School to speak to the pupils – all 51 of them. He was presented with another gold award – a certificate children compete for over the year to show they have met the five goals of “caring, concentration, consideration, co-operation and courtesy”.

“What starts off as a certificate like this could one day lead on to become a gold medal,” he told them.

He was asked what it felt like to row in a winning race.

“It’s like cycling downhill with the wind in your hair. We build up a good rhythm – 36 strokes a minute – and then you feel the boat singing underneath you and the water bubbling away – it’s a wonderful feeling. That’s why I love rowing,” he said before he was turned out into the playground to pose for the compulsory school photograph.

For the year of his captaincy, Andy is aiming to set in motion an arrangement to steer his club into a new “professional” era in a bid to develop more high-performance Olympic rowers.

“There are a lot of good rowers, but we need to be producing the conditions for them to bridge that gap between club rowing and international rowing.

“There is a need for a clearly defined single pathway from grass roots to Olympic success – it will take time, but it’s what we must aim for if we want to develop the elite rowers of the future,” said Andy.

As a professional rower, Andy is supported by UK Sport National Lottery. In the run-up to the 2012 Olympics he is aiming to earn more fees as a motivational speaker for national companies and organisations.