Sarah Tait retires from rowing as Olympic silver medallist continues cervical cancer battle
Cancer battle ... Olympic silver medallist Sarah Tait (L) alongside rowing partner Kate Hornsey. (Getty Images: Mike Hewitt)
Olympic silver-medallist Sarah Tait has retired from rowing to fight cervical cancer.
Tait has been battling the disease since being diagnosed after the birth of her and husband-coach Bill's second child, Luca, 11 months ago.
The 31-year-old returned to rowing for six months following chemotherapy and radiation treatment last year but has been advised to undergo further treatment.
"I have been rowing for Australia since 2000 and it is a sport I still care very passionately about," Tait said in a Rowing Australia statement on Wednesday.
"But at the end of last year my doctors recommended further treatment to increase the chances of my cancer going into remission.
"It was a simple decision for me to bow out of rowing and focus my time on getting better and looking after my family."
A former world champion, Tait captained the Australian women's rowing team to the past two Olympics in Beijing and London, giving birth to daughter Leila in between.
The highly-respected Perth product made her Games debut in 2004 in the ill-fated women's eight, which finished last in the final after Sally Robbins stopped rowing before the line.
Tait and Kate Hornsey won one of three rowing silver medals for Australia at the London Games after pushing British favourites Helen Glover and Heather Stanning all the way in the women's pairs at Eton Dorney.
"Without a doubt, my greatest achievement has to have been combining with Kate (Hornsey) and our coach, Bill Tait," the Melbourne-based rower said.
"Bill has been a great support and in last eight years has made the most amazing difference to my rowing career, and my life, both as my husband and my coach."
Rowing Australia's high-performance director Chris O'Brien praised Tait as a fantastic role model and lamented her presence in the team would be sorely missed.
"Her determination and passion for rowing is hard to match and we wish her all the best in her recovery and also her future post-rowing," he said.
AAP