IMAGINE training 15 times a week for 18 months, dedicating your life to rowing, getting a first Great Britain call-up and having to miss it due to self-isolation?

That is the harsh reality for Cam Nyland. The Warrington Rowing Club athlete was chosen for the 2021 U23 World Rowing Championships in Czech Republic but due to coronavirus isolation, she could not go.

Nyland, 21, had dedicated her training for the event, which concluded at the weekend, since the start of 2020.

When a club practitioner tested positive for coronavirus, Nyland was due to be rooming with one of the athletes who had been in contact with them.

Despite negative tests, she had to isolate and miss the competition.

“It was hard to hear that we wouldn’t get to go after training for the event for over 18 months," said Nyland, a former Lymm High School student.

"Obviously, I realised that it was for the safety of the rest of our squad and also the competitors over in Czech Republic but it doesn’t make it easy to swallow.

“Life definitely sends things like this to test us and so I’m going to use it as a measure of my abilities and take a positive step forward rather than letting it set me back.”

Nyland was still awarded the vest to celebrate her achievement, but it was still gutting news as Warrington Rowing Club club official, Richard Sinnott, explained his sadness.

“I’m just devastated for Cam – she’s crushed. She’s the unluckiest kid in the world," said Sinnott.

She was due to fly out to Racice, Czech Republic, on Saturday, July 3, but did not get out of isolation until the following day.

British Rowing director of performance Brendan Purcell said: “Following consultation with Public Health England, and in line with the advice that we have been providing to the GB Rowing Team and wider rowing community, we took a prompt decision to isolate the immediate contacts and segregate any “contacts of contacts.”

“This also led to the difficult decision to withdraw the athletes from the regatta in the interest of protecting the remainder of our U23 team and the wider sport in Racice.

“While this is disappointing for the athletes, who have so far returned negative tests and not shown any symptoms, they should feel very proud to have been selected to represent Great Britain at the U23 World Championships and we hope to see them back out racing soon.”