DETERMINED Dorchester rower Jenny Ward has set her sights on a place in Team GB next year after illness scuppered her chances of national selection this term.

The 20-year-old, who is currently studying at the Royal Holloway University of London, was withdrawn by her coach last week, but is eager to target a place in next year’s Henley regatta as a starting point in her quest to make the squad.

“I really want to get into GB, that is my ultimate ambition but I got ill at the wrong time,” said Ward, who moved to the county town when she was five.

“There are a series of trials and the first ones were the National Championships. I was ill but I went and did it anyway and had a coughing fit halfway through which wasn’t particularly good, but I made it through.

“I tried to recover because the next trials are next week but my coach has said I will only make myself worse.

“It will spur me on in the long run.

“They start all again next year so I’m going to try and get some good races in and then hopefully they can’t not have me.

“We have the BUCS regatta before that and hopefully if I do well I can get a place at Henley.”

Ward, who has set her focus on the single skulls but has secured success in the fours, received a scholarship from her university this year following in the footsteps of Olympic rower Jessica Eddie in becoming a member of Royal Holloway’s student talented athlete recognition scheme.

She has also claimed victories at the Kingston and Twickenham regattas, and recently completed a charity cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats with a number of her team-mates.

On her long term ambitions, Ward added: “I always really wanted to do the 2020 Olympics, I have always had that in my mind but who knows.”