Laura Greenhalgh
Laura is selected in the lightweight women's quad for the 2009 World Championships in Poznan.
She has represented Great Britain at junior, U23 and senior level in the lightweight women's single, double and quad.
In the 2008 World Cup series she raced in the lightweight double finishing 9th and 8th and at Poznan in the lightweight quad winning gold. At the 2008 World Championships she finished 4th in the lightweight quad.
Laura took up rowing at the age of 13 at Headington School as a keen all–round sportswoman. Despite enjoying hockey, netball and tennis she decided to pursue rowing and won her first international vest in the GB U16 team in the GB v France match in 2000. She won gold medals at the Schools Head, National Schools and National Championships events as a member of the most successful girls' school boat club, and in 2003 won a silver medal in the women's coxless four event at the World Junior Championships in Athens.
In her gap year she trained at Wallingford Rowing Club whilst working in the Oxford University teaching laboratories, setting a British Junior lightweight record on the ergometer and a course record in the lightweight double at Henley Women's Regatta. She raced at the 2004 World U23 Championships in Poznan where she came 6th in the lightweight double.
In 2004 Laura began studying in Cambridge, training at Ely with Adrian Cassidy. She won the open senior lightweight single event at Essen International Regatta and came 4th in the lightweight double scull at the 2005 World U23 Championships in Amsterdam.
Laura had a season out of competitive rowing due to illness in 2006, during which time she enjoyed pursuing her interests in traveling abroad, music and cooking. She spent her final year at Cambridge training with Don McLachlan and won gold in the lightweight women's quadruple scull at the 2007 World Cup Regatta in Lucerne. She went on to win silver in the same boat class at the 2007 World Championships.
Laura graduated in 2007 with a double first in Natural Sciences, specialising in Physiology, Development and Neuroscience.
Laura is Lottery Funded through UK Sport.
