Former Enniskillen Royal Boat Club rower Zoe McCutcheon enjoyed a hugely successful return to the world stage last weekend, winning two silver medals for Great Britain at the World University Championships in London, Ontario, Canada.
McCutcheon, who rowed with ERBC during her junior years, has gone on to establish herself at senior level and was representing Great Britain at the championships for the second time.
Last year, she helped GB to gold in the eight, and this time she added two silver medals to her collection after impressive performances in both the coxless pair and eight.
Competition in the coxless pair was particularly strong, with McCutcheon and her partner coming up against a fast Dutch crew which had already impressed in its heat.
The Dutch pairing proved too strong in the final, but McCutcheon and her partner produced a superb performance to claim silver, finishing ahead of crews from Italy, Canada, Hungary and Germany.
There was little time to rest before McCutcheon was back on the water later in the day as part of the GB eight.
The final developed into a thrilling contest, with crews from Holland, Italy, Germany, Canada and the United States all battling for the medals.
GB made a strong start and were sitting second at the 500-metre mark, before slipping back to third at 1,000 metres.
They remained in third with 500 metres remaining, but began to close the gap on Italy as the finish approached.
A brilliant late burst saw the GB crew power past the Italians and close rapidly on the leaders from Holland.
However, the Dutch crew held their nerve in the closing stages to take gold by just 0.90 seconds, leaving GB with a well-earned silver medal.
It was an outstanding performance from a crew which had only been together for a few weeks before the championships.
For McCutcheon, the result represents another significant achievement in what has already been an impressive rowing career.
Having started her journey with Enniskillen Royal Boat Club, she has now established herself at the highest level of university rowing and continues to represent Fermanagh with distinction on the international stage.
Her two silver medals add to last year's success in the GB eight and underline her progress since leaving the junior ranks.
