A CHILDHOOD friend - who followed Steve through his school years - has spoken of his memories growing up with the country's greatest Olympian.

Mark Humphrey, 39, said he had a feeling, from their days at Great Marlow School, that Steve would achieve great things with his rowing.

He added: 'You would never see him after school. He would always be off rowing. He was so enthusiastic about it.

'I used to see him when I went fishing on the river and would say hello as he went flying past on his rowing boat.'

He added: 'I would be out there at around 5am and thought, at the time, if anybody can get up that early through the cold and the wet to row they must have serious drive.'

Mark remembers Steve bringing back his first gold medal from the 1984 Olympics.

The father-of-three, of Havenfield Road, Booker, High Wycombe, said: 'He showed it to us at a party when he got back to Marlow.

'He was very modest about it, being the first, but he was absolutely thrilled.

'I never imagined that he would get five.'

The pair joined St Peters Infant School aged three, going on to Burford School, Marlow Bottom, and then to Great Marlow School in Bobmore Lane.

One of Mark's early memories is when he and Steve used to run through the village to escape the local bully.

He said: 'We were both quite quick in those days, but I think he has come on a bit since then.'

Mark added: 'To go through all those years with someone and then watch them on telly at every Olympics is great.

'I certainly hope he gets a knighthood for this. Perhaps they should name the rowing club after him.'