Northallerton Paralympic hero Laurence Whiteley was given a rousing reception when he visited the town’s department store, Barkers, this week.
Laurence brought his gold medal into the High Street store, which celebrated his achievement with a commemorative window.
On Tuesday, he visited Barkers to meet staff and customers in his home town – and discovered how proud everyone is of his achievement.
Laurence and partner Lauren Rowles won Paralympic gold in the mixed double scull, after living up to their promise when they earlier won their heat in a world best time.
Barkers MD Charles Barker says: “The town of Northallerton is delighted at what Laurence achieved in Rio, and we wanted to show him how proud we are by dressing our prominent display window in his honour.
“It was wonderful to welcome him into the department store now he is home from Rio, and everyone was thrilled see the gold medal.
“Laurence is an inspiration to any children or young people suffering from cancer, as he has not let anything hold him back. Winning a gold medal is a remarkable achievement and we wish him continued success.”
Laurence, 25, took up swimming when he was 14 as part of his rehabilitation after suffering from an aggressive form of bone cancer.
He moved to Para rowing in 2012 from swimming and was part of Tees Rowing Club, before moving to the British team’s high performance centre at Caversham.
