Lauren Rowles retires from rowing and announces return to wheelchair racing

Three-time Paralympic gold medallist Lauren Rowles OBE has announced her retirement from rowing – but the 27-year-old isn’t finished with sport yet, instead she intends to return to wheelchair racing, the sport she first competed in over a decade ago.

Rowles introduction to Para sport was as a young fan at the London 2012 Paralympic Games – a trip that ignited a passion and drive for a future as an elite athlete.

Initially a wheelchair racer, the Bromsgrove athlete represented Team England at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the women’s 1500m T54, but not long after she was scouted by British Rowing – and she immediately excelled.

Less than six months after starting out, Rowles won silver at the World Championships, then in 2016 was selected to race at the Rio Paralympic Games in the mixed doubles sculls alongside Laurence Whiteley. At just 18-years-old she became Paralympic champion.

The pair continued to dominate, as Rowles became the first female to become World, European and Paralympic champion in the mixed doubles event as well as going on to claim a second Paralympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020. Unbeaten since the 2019 World Championships, she is a two-time World champion and three-time European champion.

Rowles made history at Paris 2024 when she became the first three-time Paralympic gold medallist in rowing, winning the PR2 mixed double sculls alongside Gregg Stevenson who she teamed up with after Whiteley’s retirement.

Rowles said: “After more than a decade representing Great Britain, it’s time for me to hang up my rowing blades and move away from the water. From my first strokes in a boat, rowing has changed my life in countless ways. It’s given me a decade of unforgettable memories, lifelong friendships, and the honour of wearing the GB vest.

“Becoming the most successful Para rower in the sport’s history was something I could never have dreamed of when I first sat in a boat, and it’s a testament to the incredible teammates, coaches, and support staff who have been there throughout all the highs and lows to make the magic moments happen.”

Penny Briscoe, Chef de Mission at ParalympicsGB said: “Lauren has been a fantastic ParalympicsGB team member, Ambassador and role model both on and off the field of play since her first Paralympic Games in 2016, where she won gold at just 18-years-old. She is an incredible sportswoman who has already achieved so much – not least becoming the first three-time Paralympic gold medallist in rowing.

“I have no doubt she will excel in her move to wheelchair racing, a sport she already knows well. While she will be greatly missed by the rowing community she will be an absolute asset to Para athletics and I can’t wait to see what she can accomplish.”

Lauren continues to build her legacy through her work as an inclusion consultant and public figure within the disability & LGBTQ+ community, together with her partner Paralympic wheelchair basketball player, Jude Hamer.