THE chairman of British Rowing, Annamarie Phelps, received an honorary degree from the University of York.

The university confers the degrees on individuals who have made outstanding contributions to society and Annamarie received her award on Saturday in the second of two days of ceremonies at Central Hall in Heslington.

Annamarie is a rower and champion of Paralympic sport who represented Great Britain at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and in the World Rowing Championships from 1991 to 1995, winning the World Championship gold medal in 1993. As a prominent figure in the world of rowing, she has played an important role in the direction of Paralympic sport, as Chairman of British Rowing and Vice-Chair of the British Paralympic Association.

On Saturday she dropped in to talk to the current batch of university rowers at their boathouse on the river Ouse.