Lauren Rowles MBE
Rower // Para-Rowing Squad
Date of Birth: 24th Apr 1998 (25 years old)
Club: Worcester Rowing Club
Height: 172.00
Hometown: Bromsgrove

Lauren Rowles was crowned as Paralympic champion at the Rio 2016 Games just a year after taking up rowing.
She and crewmate Laurence Whiteley became World Champions in the PR2 mixed double sculls in 2019, making them reigning World and Paralympic champions.
Rowles is a former wheelchair athlete who first tried rowing in early 2015 after a chance meeting with GB Rowing Team staff at Stoke Mandeville Sports Centre.
But by the end of the season she had helped to qualify the trunk-arms mixed double scull boat for the Paralympic Games and went on to win a glorious gold with Laurence Whiteley in 2016, setting a new World Best time along the way.
In 2017, Rowles and Whiteley won silver at the World Cup II regatta in Poznan, but injury ruled the pair out of the World Championships that year.
They returned to racing in 2019, when they became World Champions. In 2021, they added the European title to their palmares, and then went on to become Paralympic Champions too.
Following Whiteley’s retirement from international competition, Rowles raced the PR2 Women’s single sculls at World Cup I in 2022, where she won the gold medal in a close two-boat final.
She returned to the PR2 Mixed double sculls with new partner Gregg Stevenson for the 2023 European Championships, which they won in fine style.
Lauren switched from athletics to rowing in 2015 and was first crowned as Paralympic champion in 2016
On The Water
©Peter Spurrier/Intersport Images
2016
2015
Rio 2016 Paralympiad: 2013 – 2016
Lauren and Laurence Whiteley were once again selected in the trunk-arms mixed double scull for the 2016 season. Lauren’s A-level studies restricted them to just one international appearance before Rio but there was plenty of promise in their bronze and silver medals at the Gavirate International Regatta in Italy.
The hard work Lauren and Laurence put into training during the summer was clear to see on the Lagoa Rodridgo de Freitas as they set a new World Best time in their heat before storming to victory in the final to be crowned as Paralympic Champions.
They first teamed up during a remarkable debut at the 2015 World Championships in Aiguebelette. They only began training together in the summer after Lauren made the transition from athletics to rowing at the end of a year-long search by the GB Rowing Team para-rowing coaches for a trunk-arms mixed double scull partner for Laurence.
Despite their brief time together, Lauren and Laurence became the first GB crew to qualify for Rio 2016 as they won their repechage. They then went on to produce a fantastic performance in the final, winning silver as they finished just half-a-second behind Australia.


GB Competitive Record
Year | Event | Position | Boat |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | European Rowing Championships Bled, SLO |
PR2 Mix2x | |
2022 | World Rowing Cup I Belgrade, SRB |
PR2 W1x | |
2020 | Paralympic Games Regatta Tokyo, JPN |
PR2 Mix 2x | |
2021 | European Rowing Championships Varese, ITA |
PR2 Mix 2x | |
2019 | World Rowing Championships Linz Ottensheim, AUT |
PR2 Mix2x | |
2019 | World Rowing Cup II Poznan, POL |
PR2 W1x | |
2017 | World Rowing Cup II Poznan, POL |
PR2 Mix2x | |
2016 | Paralympic Games Regatta Rio de Janeiro, BRA |
TAMix2x | |
2015 | World Rowing Championships Aiguebelette, FRA |
TAMix2x |
- Year:
- 2023
- Event:
- European Rowing Championships
Bled, SLO - Position:
- Boat:
- PR2 Mix2x
- Year:
- 2022
- Event:
- World Rowing Cup I
Belgrade, SRB - Position:
- Boat:
- PR2 W1x
- Year:
- 2020
- Event:
- Paralympic Games Regatta
Tokyo, JPN - Position:
- Boat:
- PR2 Mix 2x
- Year:
- 2021
- Event:
- European Rowing Championships
Varese, ITA - Position:
- Boat:
- PR2 Mix 2x
- Year:
- 2019
- Event:
- World Rowing Championships
Linz Ottensheim, AUT - Position:
- Boat:
- PR2 Mix2x
- Year:
- 2019
- Event:
- World Rowing Cup II
Poznan, POL - Position:
- Boat:
- PR2 W1x
- Year:
- 2017
- Event:
- World Rowing Cup II
Poznan, POL - Position:
- Boat:
- PR2 Mix2x
- Year:
- 2016
- Event:
- Paralympic Games Regatta
Rio de Janeiro, BRA - Position:
- Boat:
- TAMix2x
- Year:
- 2015
- Event:
- World Rowing Championships
Aiguebelette, FRA - Position:
- Boat:
- TAMix2x
Beyond the Boat
In February 2012 Lauren lost the use of her legs when she was diagnosed with a rare paralysing condition that developed overnight. However, she was determined to maintain an active lifestyle and, after leaving hospital in July of that year, started searching for a para-sport.
She became a wheelchair track athlete and competed for England at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games in the T53/54 1,500m. She was also crowned England under-16s champion at 100m, 200m and 1,500m during 2014 and captained the Midlands at the UK School Games before turning to rowing.
Lauren is Lottery funded through UK Sport.
Personal information
Place of Birth | Current Address | Hometown | Region |
---|---|---|---|
Birmingham | Bromsgrove | Bromsgrove | West Midlands |
- Place of Birth:
- Birmingham
- Current Address:
- Bromsgrove
- Hometown:
- Bromsgrove
- Region:
- West Midlands
Weight | Height |
---|---|
56kg | 172cm |
- Weight:
- 56kg
- Height:
- 172cm
Education |
---|
North Bromsgrove High School |
- Education:
- North Bromsgrove High School