Olympic silver medallist Heather Fell funded part of her training by working at a Devon pub and was pulling pints one week before competing.
The modern pentathlete has spent two years working at the Plume of Feathers, in Princetown.
Licensee Keith Twitchett said: "Before she got any funding, she saved a few bob by doing shifts here. She enjoys the atmosphere of working behind a bar. Now, doing the odd shift gives her a break from the training."
Twitchett described the pub on Friday morning when Fell picked up her medal. "We were glued to the TV. All the locals were in over the weekend and we had a drink for Heather."
The trade has found other ways to support our Olympic heroes this week. Town & City Pub Company is to rename Yates¹s in Mansfield the Adlington Arms in honour of double gold medal-winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington.
Town & City chief executive Tony Smith said: "Rebecca Adlington has achieved a phenomenal feat. What better way to honour her than to name her local pub after her?"
Gold medal-winning sailor Paul Goodison is to have a beer named after him. Sheffield-based Kelham Island is to introduce Goodison¹s Gold, a 4.7% abv golden ale, to 11 pubs across Sheffield, Rotherham, Wombwell and Doncaster.