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Thirteen years ago, the great British rower Lola Andersen (third from right) wrote down her dream of winning a gold medal at the Olympics. Then she threw the note away.

Anderson, 26, had forgotten about it, but her father, Don, never did. Don kept the paper and returned it to Lola in 2019, months before he died of cancer, reminding Anderson of her 13-year-old self’s dream.

“My name is Lola Anderson and I think my biggest dream in life would be to go to the Olympics and represent Team GB in rowing and, if possible, win a gold medal,” she wrote after watching the 2012 London Games, according to Olympics.com.

On Wednesday morning, Anderson made that dream come true by winning a gold medal in the women’s double four.

“I know (my dad) would be so, so proud,” an emotional Anderson told BBC Sport after the win. “I think about him a lot now. It’s really amazing.”