Lauren Rowles MBE

Newly crowned Paralympic Gold medallist and motivational speaker, Lauren is one of the most exciting rowers to emerge from the sport in recent years.
At the age of 13 in February 2012, having gone to bed the previous night able bodied, Lauren woke one morning paralysed from the waist down. She was diagnosed with the rare neurological disease Transverse Myelitis.  7 months after receiving intensive medical treatment and rehabilitation Lauren returned home.

Having been a keen athlete whilst growing up, Lauren found huge inspiration watching the London 2012 Paralympic Games and soon after took up wheelchair racing. Following 2 years of intensive training and competition, at 16 and the youngest member of Team England’s athletics squad, Lauren competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in the T54 Women’s 1500m – she qualified for the final in her event.

After being talent scouted by the GB Rowing Team, Lauren uncovered a passion for the sport and in early 2015 Lauren made the switch to rowing. Five months after taking her first stroke she was selected to represent Great Britain at the Senior World Rowing Championships. After winning their repechage Lauren, and her rowing partner Laurence Whiteley, qualified the first British boat for the Rio 2016 Games. A remarkable debut, a day later Lauren and Laurence went on to become World Championship Silver Medallists, being only half a second off the Gold medal.

Within just a year of rowing, and alongside studying for her A-Levels, Lauren earned herself a coveted spot on the GB Rio 2016 Paralympic Games Team.  In their heat Lauren and Laurence re-set the record books, setting a new World Best Time of 3.52.16 in the Trunk and Arms Mixed Double Sculls, also setting a new Paralympic Record in the process. On the 11th September 2016 Lauren and Laurence won Gold to become the new Paralympic Champions.

Following on from her success in Rio, Lauren was shortlisted for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year (2016). Lauren was awarded an MBE by Her Majesty the Queen in the 2017 New Year’s Honours in recognition of her services to rowing.

Lauren is now back in training preparing for the World Championships in Florida later this year. Her goal is to win the World Championship title to go with her Paralympic title. Lauren’s long term aim is to retain her title in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and to also raise the profile of para-rowing.

Alongside rowing Lauren is a full time student, in her first year reading Law at Oxford Brookes University.

Lauren regularly speaks at schools, colleges, universities and corporates on the subject of achieving your dreams, motivation, team-work, leadership and how to deal with the strains and joys of success.

Awards Lauren Holds
BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year Award 2016 (Finalist)
Paralympic Athlete of the Year 2016 – GB Rowing Team Award
World Class Worcestershire, Black Pear Tree Award 2016
Disabled Sportsperson of the Year, Hereford and Worcestershire 2014
BBC Newcomer of the Year, Hereford and Worcestershire 2013
BBC Midlands Newcomer of the Year in 2013