Paralympic champion Naomi Riches has paid tribute to the “amazing” Marlow community that supported her in her gruelling world record attempt to row the entire length of the River Thames.

Naomi, who brought back gold after London’s 2012 Paralympics, finished the 165-mile Great Thames Row challenge in 47 hours 59 minutes 54 seconds - smashing her 50 hour target.

Speaking to the Marlow Free Press, the rower – who says she is “still not quite recovered” from the epic challenge – took on the row in a bid to raise awareness and money for her patron charity IN-vision.

Starting the row in Lechlade on September 17, Naomi stopped off in Marlow on Sunday afternoon on her way to the finish line at Gravesend Royal Pier, Kent.

The Marlow resident said the support she has received from fellow Marlovians during her training for the punishing race has been “incredible” and said she was “emotional” when crowds gathered at the river’s edge to cheer her on.

She said: “It was amazing, I didn’t expect it at all and it was quite emotional to see so many turn out to support me.

“The community of Marlow is amazing. If they believe in something they properly get behind it. I have never known a community like it.

“I have only lived here since 2008 but I feel like I lived here all my life, it is such an amazing place. It’s why I decided to put my gold post box in Marlow and not Harrow, where I am from.”

Despite being in pain and rowing against the tide for the last five hours of the race, Naomi says she did not feel like quitting at any point.

She said: “I was heading into the oncoming tide and if I stopped at any point I was being pushed backwards.

“My cox from GB 2006 to 2008 was part of the team with me and he said to me ‘you’ve got 150 metres to the finish line, if you want to get there before it goes to 48 hours, now is the time’ and that gave me that bit of fire that I needed to finish. I knew I didn’t want to tip over into 48 hours.”  

She finished at Gravesend Royal Pier on Monday afternoon in record time, but the attempt has yet to have been officially confirmed by Guinness World Records.

Naomi added: “It is a bit of a shame that we have to wait but I am incredibly proud that I managed to complete the row.”

She described the row as a "personal challenge" and hopes that young people will be inspired by her achievement. 

She said: "It is about pushing yourself and having that belief that you can do it. When I was younger, teachers and classmates said I was rubbish and didn’t think I would achieve anything. I always wanted to prove them wrong and I have."