An Oldham man has been crowned as the Masters windsurfing champion in Great Britain following victory at an event in Scotland.
John McLawrence, from Royton, got into windsurfing around 20 years ago after his brother started teaching him at Hollingworth Lake.
Now, the 50-year-old is a UK champion after a stunning victory which has been years in the making and has seen John overcome some major obstacles.
He said: "It's great, I've been trying to do this for 10 years.
"I just managed to get my head in the right space this time."
John was crowned the Masters champion of the British Windsurfing Wave Championship following victory in the Tiree Wave Classic last week.
The champion is decided based on an accumulation of points from events over the course of a season, with the Tiree Wave Classic being the biggest event and the final competition of this year's season.
John had won it before, but not as part of a winning season, and this time, he faced a nervous week on the isle of Tiree, off the west coast of Scotland.
He said: "It started on Tuesday (October 15) and I won my single elimination to get to the final."
John then spent the rest of the week waiting for the other matchups to take place before he found out his opponent in the final on Sunday, October 18.
He said: "I was just waiting around on the beach - it was quite nerve-wracking."
However, John did manage to win his final and secure the Masters title, which will allow him to compete in the Professionals category next year.
This victory is the culmination of some difficult years for John.
In 2017, he won the Tiree Wave Classic and came second in the Masters, but broke his foot while practising, keeping him out of action for a year, and it was not long before the Covid pandemic came along, which had a major impact on the windsurfing calendar.
John said: "The broken foot had a psychological impact, it took me a long time to get my confidence back."
It is fair to say that John has got his confidence back now as he also looks ahead to representing Great Britain in the Masters category in the World Championships in Gran Canaria, as he has done in the past.
Looking ahead, John said he is "excited" to compete in the Professionals category at the British Windsurfing Wave Championship next year, adding: "I can't wait for it to get started again."
He is now ranked 11th in the world among Master windsurfing athletes, and is looking to crack into the top 10 next year.
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