A NORTH-East rowing club has waved off one of its home-grown athletes as she heads off to her third Olympics.

Durham rower Jess Eddie will be competing in the British women’s eight crew at the Olympics in Rio next month.

Members of Durham Amateur Rowing Club [DARC], which was the athlete’s first club, took to the River Wear with banners to wish her well.

Gabrielle Moore, the club’s ladies captain, said: “Jess is a home-grown Durham girl who went through DARC as a junior and is off to her third Olympics so we want to wish her well.

“She’s been a long time supporter of the club and we’re all very proud of her.”

Eddie, who attended Durham St Leonard’s Catholic School and learned to row on the River Wear when she was eight, joined DARC as a teenager before being picked up by the GB squad at 16.

She has since competed for Great Britain as a junior, under-23 and senior rower, racing in the GB women's eight in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

The 31-year-old won a gold medal with the crew at the European Championships this year and after two top five Olympic results will be hoping for a podium finish this time.

Eddie still supports DARC and in 2013 helped raise money for a new boat, which was named after her.

Her former coaches Gordon Beattie and Bill Parker, a former DARC president, were also there to wish her well.