SOME rowers might take it easy during the winter months, but 12-year-old Megan Jephcote isn't one of them.

Megan, from Coleford, is about to embark on a tough winter programme of competitions on the rowing machines which will take her all over the world.

She will compete in the British Championships in two weeks time, then she's off to Dublin in December for the Irish Championships.

The Scottish Championships in Edinburgh in January will be followed by the Finland National Championships in Helsinki in February.

Megan is also the first European rower to be invited to the Japanese National Championships in Tokyo in July.

Dad Graham said: "Megan has 13 big competitions from now to March so she'll certainly be collecting some air miles. She's hardly got a weekend off.

"She is in intense training at Club Ginger in Lydney, who are helping her to get in shape."

Megan took up rowing less than two years ago, but she's taken to it like a duck to water.

She is the current national indoor rowing champion for her age-group and a GB indoor rowing ambassador.

In the summer months she represents Ross Rowing Club.

Megan goes to Monmouth School, one of the few comprehensives in the country where rowing is on the curriculum.

She trains on the machines and on the water, up to four times per week.

On the machines, she can cover 511 metres in two minutes (the GB record for her age-group is 550m).