ROWER Matt Vanstone has his sights set on breaking into the Great Britain squad after claiming the bronze medal at the British Indoor Championships.

The 25 year-old, who works as a physical education instructor at Erlestoke Prison, near Devizes, tasted success at the national championships, at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena.

Vanstone represented the Prison Service RC in the mens’ open heavyweight division and finished with a time of just under six minutes and 17 seconds. “Anyone can enter and you get put into categories from there. They have 99 rowing machines set up and you race against everyone else – people can see how you’re doing on the big screen, so it’s pretty exciting,” said Vanstone, who lives in Trowbridge.

“I’ve been rowing for three years and competing for the last 12 months. It’s great for your fitness and there’s always a rowing machine in every gym that you go to, so you can always practice.

“I’d love to try and get in the Great Britain team and the big event for that is next year’s Henley Royal Regatta – the trials are there and that’s where the squad gets picked from.”

Vanstone trains on a machine at Erlestoke and says that rowing has a keen following among prison staff across the country, who regularly compete against each other.

He now turns his attentions to Sunday’s Welsh Indoor Championships at Cardiff Bay Water Activity Centre.

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