From Scilly to the Start Line: Helen Pearce’s debut at the British Rowing Indoor Championships

Fergus Mainland spoke with the runner turned rower as she gets ready to race in Birmingham at the British Rowing Indoor Championships

Helen Pearce is just over two weeks away from walking onto the race floor for the very first time. 2025 will be her first trip to the British Rowing Indoor Championships, and she is eager to dive headfirst into the cauldron.

Originally from the Isles of Scilly, and a runner for more than three decades, Helen has recently fallen in love with gig rowing at home in Cornwall. The Pearce clan are a sporting one, and she is surrounded by people who are enthusiastic rowers, it was only a matter of time before she took to the water and picked up an oar.

 “My husband rowed, so he bought an erg, much to my cries of, ‘Where are we going to put this thing? Where is it going to fit?” Helen said with a laugh.

“He was passionate about gig rowing, so he used to use it a lot. I carried on with my running but had a go at gig rowing when I was 40. On Scilly, it’s the most popular sport. My brother rowed, my sister rows, and they both use an erg regularly, but I just didn’t get the hang of it. What I thought would be a relatively easy sport, I found incredibly difficult. I did a season of it and went back to my running.”

“When I was getting more running injuries, I did go on the erg to keep up my fitness. I loved the analytical side of it and the way that you have no other variables with the erg, it’s just you, your fitness, and your technique. What a great toll it was, and I enjoyed working hard on it. I pulled some ok scores, and I enjoyed logging all the sessions on Concept2 and thought, “This has got a bit of a pull on me.”

Two years ago, tides changed Helen. “After moving to Truro, I fell in love with gig rowing at the local club, and met Gillian Rylance, who won both the Masters 60-64 Lightweight Women’s 2000m and 500m in 2023.

“She’s very focused, very driven and has that mentality of really pushing herself. She said it was great and a real experience. I was doing a bit of erg training and looked at some of the times and thought, ‘Do you know what, I’ll give it a go.’ It’s good to get out of your comfort zone occasionally. I’ll very much be out of my comfort zone up there!

“I think training is an amazing tool to help see improvement within you. I’m 62, and I feel stronger, more balanced with my strength, and I’m enjoying going to the gym and doing some weight training. Back when I was running 20/30 years ago, you ran 5 times a week, and that was it. It was a very blinkered approach to training. Now, with my balance and flexibility, I feel like I’m a much more all round athlete, and part of that is down to using the erg and getting onto the water.

“I’m not going with any expectations, but I know it will be an inspirational event to attend.”

Over the years, Helen has run 10km races, half marathons, clocked 3:23 at the London Marathon, and completed an Ironman 70.3.

Since spending more time in a boat, Helen and her teammates at Truro River RC have been punching well above their weight. The small club had three crews in the top 20 at the Cornish gig championships. Having done a solo sport for so long, Helen is thoroughly enjoying the chance to train alongside others, and she’s looking forward to racing against dozens more up in Birmingham.

“I’d love to do something around eight minutes, but I just don’t know! 2000m is one of those things where you have to keep your focus, your composure, and find out if that weight training has paid off. Whatever it is, it’ll be a PB!

“I’m just looking forward to it, as you meet lots of inspiring people at these sorts of things. My husband, who is coxing a lot at the gig club, is very much one with an eye for technique. He’s very technical, and I’m getting constant feedback on the erg! I’m getting lots of tips coming through on Instagram.

“All events are a learning curve, and you come away thinking what you could have done differently. You always reflect. As a family, sport and keeping fit are very important. Both my daughters played netball to a good level, and now they both row gigs. They use an erg regularly. My eldest daughter was in Truro’s top crew at the world championships, and you realise there’s a lot of work that goes into it all, it’s impressive.”

Join Helen at the British Rowing Indoor Championships, which will take place 6-7 December 2025 at the NEC in Birmingham.