Champion rower Shelley Pearson has reflected on her unforgettable season and revealed her intention to represent Bermuda at the next Olympics.

Despite winning a gold medal at the recent World Junior Rowing Championships in France under the flag of the United States, Pearson now wants to compete for her birth country and has set her sights on the 2012 Olympics in London.

The 18-year-old, who will attend Harvard University in the fall, said breaking into the US senior team would be a tall order and hoped to row for Bermuda at the 2011 Pan Am Games in Mexico, which acts as an Olympic qualifier.

"My goal now is to try and reach the 2012 Olympics but I'll have to learn to scull (two oars as opposed to one oar in sweep rowing) first, though," said Pearson, who has dual citizenship.

"The best route for me will probably be to compete for Bermuda as the USA team will be very hard for me to get into.

"I'll have to go to the 2011 Pan Am Games first, which acts as a qualifier, for the Olympics, and take it from there.

"The USA under-23 team is also an option for me but I'd almost rather represent Bermuda and go for the Olympics."

It has been a memorable season for Pearson whose Peddie School, in New Jersey, won the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, in Philadelphia, the US Rowing Nationals, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and were runners-up at the Women's Henley Regatta, in the UK. Her next challenge is trying to make the prestigious Harvard University's Varsity rowing team.

"It's certainly been a great year for me," said Pearson, whose father, Kevin, won the May 24 Marathon Derby in the 1980s in what was then a record time, while her brother, Erik, is the Bermuda indoor rowing record holder.

"Obviously winning the World Junior Rowing Championships with the US was the highlight for me.

"It was a great feeling to have all the other girls backing you up.

"We had a great connection considering we had been rowing together for long.

"When we reached the final obviously we were really excited.

"We knew it was our last race together and didn't want too lose ¿ we were going for gold."

Pearson came through the Bermuda Rowing Association (BRA) ranks, has a US passport and been representing the country's rowing team for the past two years.

Any youngsters interested in learning to row can contact Bermudarowing [AT]gmail.com