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 MBE profile image

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

2016

Rio de Janeiro - Paralympic Games Gold Medallist Trunk-Arms Mixed Double Scull

2015

World Silver Medallist Trunk-Arms Mixed Double Scull

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.

Lauren Rowles and Laurence Whiteley after winning TAMix2x silver at the 2015 World Championships in Aiguebelette
Laurence Whiteley and Lauren Rowles won gold at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

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

More info...

Club: Marlow RC
Boat: TA Mixed Double Scull
Role: Rower
Coaches: Tom Dyson
Learnt to Row: Marlow RC
Original Club(s): Marlow RC
Original Coach(es): Tom Dyson

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