OLYMPIC rower Ric Egington showed his support for members of his former rowing club during a charity fundraiser.

The London 2012 bronze medal winner cheered on the team from Warrington Rowing Club as they took part in a rowathon for pancreatic cancer in Manchester.

Coach Dr Gaël Tavernier organised the event at University Hospital of South Manchester, where she works, after four squad members lost a parent or grandparent to the cancer with the lowest survival rates as about four per cent survive the disease for five years or more.

Gaël, who has worked as a research scientist at the trust’s North West Lung Research Centre, said: “It’s been quite a tough time having so many of our squad dealing with pancreatic cancer and I wanted to do something to focus our efforts as well as raise awareness of the disease.

“We were delighted to have Ric’s support on the day and he was a wonderful inspiration for the children.”

The group were celebrating afterwards as the rowathon raised more than double the £1,000 target and saw Gaël set a new British record of three hours, five minutes and nine seconds of continuous rowing on a rowing machine to cover the marathon distance of 26 miles.

All four juniors teams also established for the first time four junior team relay British records.

Gaël, who organised the event in memory of her stepmother, who died of pancreatic cancer in November 2012, added: “I am so pleased with how everything went on the day.

“I wanted to pay tribute to my stepmother and this event felt like a great way to do this.

“I chose to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer UK to say thank you for the help one of the nurses gave me via their support line when I contacted them last year and also the charity of my employer, the North West Lung Centre (NWLC), as they have been so supportive during my stepmother's illness.”

Visit justgiving.com/teams/wtnmarathon to donate.