PARALYMPICS: Lily hopes for golden Games

The 20-year-old, from Oxford, hopes to steer the legs, trunks and arms (LTA) mixed four to gold at the Games.

But unlike in the Olympic regatta, where most crews feature Oxfordshire athletes, van den Broecke will be the county’s only rowing representative at the Paralympics.

“I have got to do us proud,” said the former Headington School pupil.

“I am an Oxford girl and it is my favourite city in the world.

“I live near South Park and used to cycle up Headington Hill to school every day.”

She added: “I went to Headington Junior School, following my sister Maud, who is two years older.

“The things she did, I always copied – like rowing.

“I rowed for four years, but I never really had my growth spurt like others. That was when I started to cox.”

Van den Broecke made good progress and spent three years coxing with the Great Britain junior squad.

She is now in her second year as part of the Paralympic set-up, but she is not herself disabled.

GB Rowing Team communications officer Andy Sloan explained: “There is no “ability” or “disability” requirement for a cox in the mixed coxed four event and they can be male or female.

“There is just a minimum weight limit of 50kg. If under, they have to carry weights to make up the difference."

Van den Broecke and her crew of Pam Relph, Naomi Riches, David Smith and James Roe were world champions in 2011.

They underlined their gold medal potential with victory in April’s Gavirate International Adaptive Regatta in Italy, setting an unofficial world best time in the process.

Van den Broecke has just completed her first year studying politics, philosophy and economics at Durham University, but rowing has always been a major priority.

“I did not go up to Durham last term,” she said. “I was taking my exams down here in the south.

“I was really just focusing on rowing.”

Van den Broecke added: “Competing in the Paralympics will mean everything.

“It is what I have been working towards.”