Image Credit: World Rowing
The GB rowing team can claim a few rowing ‘dynasties’ – events where they are successful time and time again. Think of the PR3 Mixed coxed four, a category in which GB has medaled at every Paralympics since rowing was added to the games in 2008, and all but one of those medals has been gold. Or maybe the men’s coxless four – a category GB has dominated in the 21st century, winning five gold medals in succession, until their fourth-placed finish in Tokyo.
Lauren Rowles is essentially building one of these dynasties by herself. The 26-year-old has not only won gold at her past two Paralympic Games, but also became the first woman to become world, European and Paralympic champion in the PR2 mixed double event. In Paris, Lauren is aiming for the ‘three-peat’ – to get her third gold medal and thus become the most successful Paralympic rower ever at just 26, with the help of Gregg Stevenson, making his Paralympic debut at 39. I had the pleasure of interviewing Gregg and Lauren over video chat, where we discussed Paris, Henley Royal Regatta, and getting the coverage of the Paralympics up to standard.
Lauren and Gregg qualified their boat for the Paralympics last year at the World Rowing championships in a world-best time, their third WBT in the pair’s debut season. They are going into the Paralympics unbeaten, having won two European championships, two World Rowing Cups, and a world championship. Having such an incredible season after only beginning to row together in January last year is testament to the dedication and talent of this double, and it’s made them the favourites for this year’s Paralympics. This type of success comes with plenty of confidence, but pressure too, the pair told me.
Gregg explained he can see it both ways: ‘I think we’re embracing our status, and it’s been a mental shift to acknowledge that we actually are the number one boat in our category and we are the current world record holders,’ – several times over, I might add. ‘It’s pressure for us, we have a standard that we deliver every day in training and we constantly strive to be the best, so that definitely comes with expectations and extra pressure. But, it also puts pressure on the other crews to try and beat us, they know we’re going to turn up and be pretty quick.’
‘Three years ago, after Tokyo, I didn’t have a partner, I was injured, and I was depressed. Gregg coming in and joining the project really gave me a lot of energy and motivation.’
Lauren sees it much the same: ‘We’re really as confident as you can be going into the Games, as European champions, world champions, and world record holders. Ultimately, it’s anyone’s race on the day to take that gold medal, but we definitely feel optimistic about it being us.’
I asked Gregg whether he felt that added pressure to help Lauren get her history-making medal; he told me that they do talk about it, but they just stick to their processes. ‘Those really cool accolades come from us doing our basics right – if we’re training well and sleeping right, that’s how we get those achievements.’
We discussed how different it must feel for the two of them – Lauren’s third Games, and Gregg’s Paralympic debut – and the benefits of this dynamic. They see their differences as positives, Gregg can learn from Lauren’s experience, and Lauren is motivated by Gregg’s greenness. ‘I want to win it to get the ‘three-peat’ and for Lauren to become the most successful Paralympic rower, but I want the win too, for myself,’ Gregg explained.
‘Three years ago, after Tokyo, I didn’t have a partner, I was injured, and I was depressed,’ Lauren recalled. ‘Gregg coming in and joining the project really gave me a lot of energy and motivation.’ Very early on in their partnership, it was clear that they had something special, and that they could create an exceptional crew in a very short space of time. Lauren has prior experience of this fast turnaround: she was scouted by the GB Rowing Team in 2015, and within a year she was a Paralympic gold medalist, aged just 18. Now, as the more experienced athlete, Lauren is very much ‘the boss’ according to Gregg, but it’s clear that Gregg’s addition to the squad has rejuvenated Lauren’s motivation.
‘People sometimes don’t really respect or recognise the work that goes into being an elite para-athlete – there is so much training and it’s so difficult to even qualify for the games.
After discussing their feelings about the upcoming Games, we turned to their experience of para-rowing on an international stage. Lauren felt the London 2012 home Games did a huge amount for sport in general and especially for funding and support of Paralympic sports in the UK, but that GB para-sports are still riding that wave from 12 years ago. ‘My fiancée went to the 2012 Paralympics in wheelchair basketball and even if they didn’t medal, the opportunities for the team afterwards were incredible.’ They both look forward to the Paris Paralympics, with the hope being that as it’s closer to home than Tokyo and Rio, the support and coverage will be higher than in previous years.
Gregg and Lauren both recounted the feeling of Paralympic sports not being taken as seriously as the Olympic Games. ‘I was once passed up for an opportunity in favour of an Olympic bronze medalist,’ double-gold medalist Lauren recalled. She still gets people asking her if she went to the ‘special Olympics’, and both athletes feel that para-sports are sometimes seen as ‘participation events’, rather than giving them credit as the elite athletes they are. Gregg told me: ‘People sometimes don’t really respect or recognise the work that goes into being an elite para-athlete – there is so much training and it’s so difficult to even qualify for the Games. There’s only a small number of boats in each event, so even getting to that start line is a huge achievement.’
Para-rowing is gaining traction around the UK, but some big events are yet to catch up. Some of the local races tend to be more inclusive, Gregg added: ‘It’s a great community to be involved in – some of our GB pathway athletes get to go and race at smaller events like Agecroft. I had the opportunity to race at local races and they’re amazing for getting more experience racing and building your confidence.’
When I asked whether they would like to see para-rowing added to the programme at Henley Royal Regatta, the response was unanimous: Absolutely. ‘Really, I think it’s about time. It’s a funny thing in our sport that the most popular, iconic events aren’t the Olympics or the Paralympics, but the Boat Race or Henley Royal. People say there isn’t the appetite for para-rowing at Henley, but I personally would love the opportunity to race there,’ Lauren explained. ‘It’s such a huge moment in the careers of even elite international athletes, we’d love that opportunity too.’ There certainly is an appetite among the athletes themselves, and HRR would be an incredible stage for para-rowing to shine.
‘When I was younger, I was bullied for being gay, before I even really knew what it meant. But now being out, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, and being around other queer athletes brings me so much joy.’
Both Gregg and Lauren are passionate about helping athletes become the best version of themselves. For Gregg, this is through mental health support, as he recently completed an MSc in Psychology and works with Op Courage, which provides veterans with mental health services. He advocates for getting the basics right when you’re an athlete – the pressure can be intense, but making sure you’re eating, sleeping, and recovering properly, can make the world of difference. Rowing itself has its own specific benefits too, he added: ‘Kings College just did a really interesting paper on the mental health benefits of being around water, so rowing can be a great tool for that.’
For Lauren, being an advocate for LGBTQ+ athletes brings her a lot of pleasure, and being openly gay has made her a better athlete. ‘Since coming out I’m more authentically myself and more confident, so I perform better because I’m being honest with myself and my teammates.’ It can be daunting to come out when there are so few openly queer athletes. She recalled: ‘When I was younger, I was bullied for being gay, before I even really knew what it meant. But now being out, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, and being around other queer athletes brings me so much joy.’ She hopes that in the future, more athletes will be comfortable about coming out and being their authentic selves.
The ‘three-peat’ shows that Lauren is firmly amongst the top calibre GB rowers like Matthew Pinsent and Pete Reed, two of only five GB rowers with three or more gold medals. Her partnership with Gregg has gone from strength to strength over the past year, and their unbeaten season is proof of their status as Paralympic rowing history-makers.
The PR2 Mixed double heats at the Paris Paralympics will be held on 30th August, and the finals on 1st September. It is anyone’s race, as Lauren said, but it would be an enormous ask for any crew to beat this powerhouse double.
About The Author
Discover more from JRN
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
