Following alumna Lauren Irwin’s selection as part of the Team GB rowing squad, she has been training intensively for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Lauren is set to participate in the women’s eight (W8+) rowing team, at the brand new Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium to the east of Paris. We caught up with her ahead of her first set of heats, which are scheduled for Monday 29 July at 11am (UK time).
I grew up in Peterlee, a 10-minute drive away from Durham, so very local and right near the coast. My school, St Bede’s, is in Peterlee, and I started out as a swimmer originally.
I was first introduced to rowing by my PE teacher at St Bede’s, Mrs Brown, when I was 14. I remember her saying to me “Lauren, you should really try rowing”, as I was quite tall. So I did!
The first few indoor rowing competitions I did were within North East England, at Dene House School and at Easington School. I took part in one of the big indoor races at Durham University, which was where I met Wade Hall-Craggs and Harriet Tebbs, who were both rowing coaches at the time.
Harriet was leading the Junior High Performance Academy [JHPA]. After my event, Wade introduced himself and said “I really think you should join a rowing club”. I didn’t really know anything about rowing, having only ever rowed indoors. When I’d been into Durham, I’d walk along the river, but I didn’t realise what I was seeing was rowing - it was all very new to me.
I ended up joining the Junior High Performance Academy, which was run by Durham University students and coaches. I’d train with them once or twice a week. Harriet and Wade mentored me and did classes, and we’d row in the tank at Durham. It went on from there really, as I joined my local rowing club, Chester-le-Street Amateur Rowing Club [ARC] around 14 years old. There was a big junior group there - I met loads of new friends and really enjoyed it! It was fun being on the water for the first time – there was a lot of falling in! I trained at Chester-le-Street ARC until I was 17. In that time I was coached by Aaron Lewcock and Steven Thompson. They developed me to the point where I first represented Team GB at the Junior World Championships. I was in a pair then, with another local Durham girl called Hope Cessford While I was training at Chester-le-Street ARC, I was at Durham Sixth Form Centre. They were really supportive with my rowing and helped me balance my studies and training.
Image: Lauren (left) at the 2013 Durham regatta
The academy developed more than just my rowing - I learnt so many other skills as well as the importance of my nutrition, psychology skills when racing, and managing my time so I could study and be an athlete at the same time. There were current Durham students helping out, so it was really useful getting advice from them, and hearing their experiences. I was already thinking about my future at that point, and whether that included going to university, so that contact was really helpful and I took inspiration from them.
Being around the students and being in Maiden Castle at the academy did ignite a spark within me. I really liked the facilities at Maiden Castle and I could really see myself being at Durham for the next few years. It definitely helped my decision, because I’d been at the University before and I remember thinking “I really really like it here”.
I did go and view other universities, but I never really got that feeling of belonging. To me that was a deal-breaker. And I like Durham as a city as well, it’s just beautiful.
Outside of my academy experience, Durham is a prestigious University so for me studying there, and continuing my rowing at the same time, was a big aspiration. There have been many rowers who have studied here and gone on to represent their country on the world stage. I wanted to follow in their footsteps, so I knew Durham would be a great choice. The University boat club is one of the few British Rowing High Performance programmes in the country so it was a clear it was a major stepping stone.
I studied at the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Science, whilst rowing at the same time. I didn’t join any other sports or clubs, which maybe looking back would have been quite fun. But I just had eyes on succeeding in rowing.
My College was Hild Bede, and the support I received from them and its boat club definitely helped my rowing career, and helped me feel part of the University. I never competed for Hild Bede’s boat club, but I did some sessions with them a few times. While I was at the College there were a lot of rowers there too, so it was always nice to catch up with them, even though we were at different clubs.
I was also supported by the Caedmon Ceolfrid Trust whilst I was at Durham [a Trust associated with the College of St Hild and St Bede established by alumni offering financial support to students to help them develop in areas will shape their future careers]. I was very lucky to be a part of that. It helped me to support myself and grow in rowing at the same time.
And although I’m pretty busy right now, in the next few years I’d love to go and celebrate at a Hild Bede alumni reunion.
Ian Shore, as the women's head coach, and Wade, as the head coach at the University, both developed me as an athlete over the three years I was there. I represented Great Britain as an Under 23 rower three years in a row and came away with a Gold Medal at the Under 23 World Rowing Championships in my final year in 2019. Without the support, guidance and knowledge from my coaches this would have been hard to achieve.
Ian also had a lot of great connections with the successful and historic Leander rowing club, where I moved on to after Durham. That initial communication with Leander help me take that next step. Moving away from home and starting a new chapter had its ups and downs but I was excited for it.
Lauren (fifth from left)
I definitely had my ups and downs. I was never perfect with my studies, and would catch up on weekends, but I quickly realised the importance of staying on top of it all in my first year. I couldn't do all-nighters, or spend the day catching up becauseit would have impacted on my rowing.
With my course at the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Sciences, I was really fortunate to have people around me that understood sport and how much it can take out of you. I felt like I had to be very organised and definitely had my moments! You do miss out on a lot of things at university – I always wanted to go to different social events, or the summer balls. I never got to do them because I was always rowing, or committed to things with Team GB. But as I look back, it’s not a case of feeling like I missed out. It was more that I was doing something that I love, so just part of my journey.
It was something that I’d dreamed about from such a young age, so my reaction was ‘WOW!’. It’s nice to have all of my training and commitments lead to this. It really does show that it’s been worth it. And I was very excited too!
My official selection announcement was a letter – a really nice one signed by Mark England [Team GB’s Chef de Mission for the Olympics]. I’m really proud of it, and when I get home I’ll definitely get it framed.
It’s crazy! Every time I come home it’s so nice to be back and walk along the beach. It’s pretty cool to have a title that no one else has.
The support I have in Peterlee is amazing – friends, family, people who I went to school with, and teachers as well. It’s really lovely to come back to that when I’ve been away and it gives me a boost. I’m still in touch with the PE teacher who introduced me to rowing too. I got a message from her and she was so proud of me!
Right now, I’m at a training camp in Varese in Italy. It’s quite a long camp – a month - and it has been very hot. So a ‘regular’ day for me recently would look like this:
Lauren (fifth from left) celebrating with the women's eight team and their cox after coming 2nd in the 2024 World Rowing Cup (II) in Lucerne, Switzerland
It’ll be the end of the cycle once the Olympics is over, so there’ll be a lot of athletes who are approaching the end of their rowing journey. A lot of people will be seeking jobs and moving on from rowing. For me, I feel like I’m only just getting started. It is really exciting to have that thought in my head, and ultimately, as long as I’m still enjoying the sport, I’d love to keep going as long as I can and see how far I can get. Fingers crossed I can get to more than one Olympics too!
I’m so grateful for everyone who has helped me along the way. I wouldn’t be here without your support, through all the lows and highs. Especially the coaches, my friends at University and my family.
I’d also say to those who have similar ambitions in rowing: keep going, don't take everything too seriously, and enjoy every moment of your journey. I have never looked back since joining Chester-le-Street ARC. I always go back to visit when I come back up north to reconnect and it’s really nice to be able to do that.
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>> View a list of Lauren's rowing achievements since 2016
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