Erin Kennedy OBE

Erin is best known as the coxswain of the indomitable Paralympic Coxed Mixed Four and talking publicly about her journey with breast cancer and fight to return to health and get back to international competition.

Despite enjoying sports at school, Erin loved musical theatre and was a keen academic which led her to apply to study History and English at Pembroke College, Oxford. Erin joined the college rowing team after a trial during Freshers Week and two years later, she coxed the Blue Boat in the 2014 Women’s Boat Race.

Erin joined the GB Rowing Team two years after graduating and won her first World Championships in 2018 with the Mix 4+. She has been with Para 4+ ever since, becoming Paralympic Champion at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Games and retaining the title at the 2024 Paris Games. On top of this, Erin is a world record holder and is a three-time World and four-time European Champion which makes her the only cox to ever hold all three titles at once.

In May 2022, Erin was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and, perhaps unsurprisingly for those that know her well, flew out to the World Cup in Serbia the following day to compete. This set the tone for how she dealt with her diagnosis and with the full support of her team, despite being on chemotherapy at the time, competed in and won the European Champions in August 2022, before taking a break from rowing to focus on her treatment. Erin made her return to international competition in May 2023 exactly a year to the day after her diagnosis, following recovery from a double mastectomy just four months earlier.

Alongside coxing, Erin is a passionate advocate for early detection of breast cancer and is an active campaigner, working with a wide range of charities from Coppafeel! to Cancer Research UK.  She has shared her cancer journey online and continues to advocate for those going through a diagnosis. After the Paris Games, Erin, along with her husband Sam and 120 fundraisers, trekked 100km in the Himalayas to raise money for breast cancer. As well as her charity work, Erin is a keen gardener, baker and runs a youth club for Years 9-13. She is also a founding member of The Winning Cox – a social enterprise created to support coxes to develop and build community across all levels of the sport.

Erin was awarded an MBE for Services to Rowing in the 2022 New Year Honours List and subsequently an OBE for Services to Rowing and Breast Cancer Awareness in the 2024 New Year Honours List.