The similarities between triathlon and rowing are few and far between but even young Bournemouth athlete Elisabeth Hood was inspired as she took to the water alongside two Olympic champions.

Hood, who competes for Great Britain juniors, received valuable tips and advice on all aspects of sporting life from double Olympic medallists Mark Hunter and Zac Purchase at Eton Dorney Lake – the rowing venue at London 2012.

Hunter and Purchase won lightweight double sculls gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, before adding two world titles on their way to winning Olympic silver four years later in London.

It all came as part of a rowing experience run by the SSE Next Generation programme, which supports 50 young athletes, in conjunction with the charity SportsAid, who have been identified as stars of the future.

And while 19-year-old Hood won’t be rushing to get back in a boat anytime soon, she admits the experience provided plenty of opportunity for learning.

“The whole day has been really informative seeing and learning how Mark and Zac trained,” said the former Talbot Heath School pupil.

“In terms of the actual rowing – I was useless! I think I need to stick with triathlon. You see it on the TV and they make it look so effortless, but you get in that boat – we nearly capsized about 15 times.

“They told us about the Olympic experience and how they deal with pressures, and just juggling normal life.

“We call it the butterfly effect – you’ve got to worry about the tiniest things to make the biggest impact, and any athlete, no matter what sport, can help you with that.

“You never ever take anything for granted, because every new athlete you meet will give you a piece of advice you’ve never heard.”

As a budding Olympic triathlete of the future, Hood’s sport involves a lot of travelling around the world – with a lot of help from the bank of mum and dad.

But Hood admits the helping hand from SSE and SportsAid goes a long way, and gives her that extra confidence boost en route to realising her sporting dreams.

“The SSE Next Generation programme has been really beneficial for me because I’ve been able to fund myself and has allowed me to stand on my own two feet now that I’m older,” she said.

“I’ve got to plan a lot more things now that I’m living on my own. Without that sponsorship and without that kick start, I wouldn’t be where I am now.

“I’ve met so many athletes who are my age and who have struggled with the same things that I have and I’ve had so many opportunities to better myself as an athlete.

“It’s just the whole experience of seeing other athletes and knowing that you can get there, you can reach your goal.”

Since 2013, SSE is proud to make a difference to young people, their families and their communities, by investing in the future of sporting talent through the SSE Next Generation scheme. Keep up to date @YourSSE.