OLYMPIC silver medal rowing star Tom Lucy was guest of honour at Monmouth Rowing Club as members awarded him life membership for his achievements in Beijing.

The 20-year-old former Monmouth School pupil was on board the GB eight that chased home Canada in the Olympic final in August.

And he relived the race with local rowers on a big screen at the Monmouthshire Building Society-sponsored club, talking through the six-boat medal race-off and giving a question and answer session before letting club members try on the medal for size and get their picture taken with it.

As the crews were seen waiting at the start, Lucy told the audience: "Before the start, when you are sat there waiting for the go, it's very strange. On the one hand, I prefer feeling quite nervous, because you can use that adrenaline to produce a good performance, but with so much at stake in an Olympic final, I was trying to rein in the nerves, because with everything about the Olympics, the size of the event, the prize on offer, it can overwhelm you.

"Off the blocks, you're still trying to get the nerves out of the system in the first 500m, but apart from the boats it was very quiet, because there were no spectators that far up the course.

"Our plan was to stick to our mid-course rhythm - we knew it was strong and in training we had done times that put us inside world record pace, so we were confident we could go quickly and challenge for the gold, but we also knew world champions Canada were quick.

"In the heat we beat the US - the Athens Olympic champions - by over a length and we were winding down before the line, so that gave us lots of confidence.

"But we then had a long six-day wait for the final and all week long we were watching the Canadians do 250m, 500m and 750m short pieces, so we knew what their plan was, get out quick, though we thought they might burn themselves out."

GB were with the world champions to 500m, but then Canada made their move opening up a length gap as the Americans began to row down the Brits.  

"Watching the Canadian crew you can see them working really hard very early on, putting it all on the line, and it worked for them, as they did just enough to stay out in front," added Lucy as the race unfolded on the screen.

"They got up and had a length at halfway, and at that level it's too much, although we came right back at them and the finish probably came 20 strokes too early for us.

"Looking back, instead of sticking to the race plan, I guess we should have responded and gone with them in the middle. Instead we were trailing and the Americans were being very annoying alongside us, which we hadn't expected.

"But the noise of the crowds at the finish was deafening, and that lifted us. I didn't really know where we were I was pulling so hard, but where a race at that level normally feels incredibly painful, I didn't notice it really until we got over the line, because you're so fired up in an Olympic final.

"We were closing with every stroke, but couldn't quite catch the Canadians, but held on for silver by a few feet."

Lucy revealed that on a typical day with the GB rowing team, he put in 40km of rowing, plus heavy weights and circuits.

"It's really hard, particularly through the winter. Then we taper a bit for racing - it's the summer I enjoy."

And with some 40 junior rowers listening to his every word, Lucy told them the secret to being a success was working on being mentally strong in races, not just the physical side.

"You need to train hard, but to win races consistently, you need to work on that mental toughness, making sure you always give it your all in training and the big races."

Deputy mayor Ann Were paid tribute to the Llangovan powerhouse, who hasn't decided yet whether he will be in the frame for London 2012.

"Tom's Olympic medal is a tribute not just to his talent, but also to the immense effort and sacrifice he put in to get there," she said.

Club coach John Jenkins told club members that he was a fantastic inspiration to youngsters, winning only the third Olympic medal in Monmouthshire after showjumpers Harry Llewellyn and David Broome.