Proud Mary's Olympic joy

3:43pm Friday 29th August 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

A PROUD grandmother from a village near Warminster clapped and cheered in jubilation as she watched her grandson win an Olympic gold medal in Beijing.

Mary Purchase, from Corsley, endured a 13-hour flight to China so she could be there in person to support her 22-year-old grandson Zac, who was competing in the double sculls lightweight rowing competition on August 15.

Mrs Purchase said: "I was at the race and saw him being presented with his gold medal. It was very emotional.

"We went there to support everybody really, and Zac.

"I just can't describe it; there were so many people there including representatives and supporters for sport over the whole world. The atmosphere was absolutely electric."

The proud grandmother travelled out to China on a three-week trip, which included site-seeing as well as watching Zac, who lives in Reading, cross the finishing line first with his rowing partner Mark Hunter - securing Great Britain's first ever lightweight Olympic rowing medal.

Mrs Purchase joked: "I just prayed I would have lived long enough that I would get to Beijing and now they are telling me I have to live long enough to get to the 2012 Olympics."

Although it was a very nervous time, Mrs Purchase admits she felt quietly confident about his success.

"I was pretty confident about it but they say you should never be too optimistic and the Greeks and Danes were very strong," she said.

Mrs Purchase attended the Games with her son Nick (Zac's dad), granddaughter Freyja, Freyja's boyfriend Dan Kerney, and Zac's girlfriend 'Fliss'. (NO SURNAME) After the Games Mrs Purchase, who was wearing a bag with the slogan 'I support Zac and Mark' as well as a red, white and blue shirt, became an international star herself, being interviewed by Sky News, ITN and the BBC.

Since the Games, Zac has been busy with interviews himself and hasn't had the chance to visit his grandmother in Corsley but it's something she understands.

Mrs Purchase returned home on Thursday and launched straight back into normal life by supporting the Women's Institute at the annual Corsley Show on Bank Holiday Monday, albeit suffering slightly from jetlag.