By Lucy Wilde

Two-time Paralympic rowing champion Lauren Rowles was left feeling lost when her double sculls partner Laurence Whiteley retired after the pair won gold in Tokyo three years ago. 

The Birmingham native is a regular feature on Commonwealth, European and world stages, but when she could no longer recognise a life for herself outside of rowing, the joy of being an elite athlete started to erode.

Fast forward three years, she’s now engaged, a first-time mother and is heading to Paris with a fresh perspective on what it really means to be successful. 

“After Tokyo I had a really challenging time with my mental health,” Rowles said. “I think a large part of that stemmed from the fact I didn’t know who I was off the water. I don’t think there was a Lauren that existed away from a rowing boat. 

“I remember when I made it to Rio and won my first Paralympic gold medal I thought: ‘This is it, this is the world’ but I quickly realised there was still this part of me that was missing. 

“I shoved that feeling down and just didn’t face up to what was missing in my life, I pushed through and kept working hard but it wasn’t really until the pandemic that I realised I needed to prioritise myself.”

Rowles is on a mission to become the first British rower to win three Paralympic gold medals this year but believes working hard to enrich her life outside of rowing will be the key to her success this time around. 

“Being in lockdown forced me to address the Lauren off the water that I hadn’t allowed myself to look at. It was only then that I realised spending all my teenage years, my formative years, going through high performance sport and being moulded into this athlete meant I didn’t really know myself. 

“I always felt I had to be a certain way to succeed, but since then I think people have watched the evolution of Lauren as a regular person. I came out as queer in 2020, got engaged, and became a mother. All of these things form the foundation of Lauren the rower.”

Rowles’ partner Jude Hamer, a wheelchair basketball player who has represented Great Britain at three Paralympic Games, will miss Paris this time around after giving birth to their son Noah in March this year. 

It was Hamer who made the decision to step back from her sport to try for a baby, but Rowles is more motivated than ever to perform for herself and her new family.

“Everything has intensified since I became a mother,” said Rowles. “I remember thinking I’d achieved my childhood dream when I was selected for my first Paralympics. I thought the world had opened up and everything had come to me in life.

“Now that feeling is ten times greater. Having a family foundation and knowing that at the end of it all I get to go home to an amazing support system is what’s really important. I feel so blessed to have that.

“Having those relationships is what’s really counts because one day I won’t be going backwards quickly for a living anymore. I’ll be sitting at home or doing the school run, but that’s what life is all about.”

While family life has introduced Rowles to a new feeling of fulfilment, the novelty of representing Great Britain and her drive to succeed has not waned. 

“Wearing the GB kit and getting to represent my country, there is absolutely no feeling of pride like it. What a privilege it is to be able to go to work every day and love what you do. 

“We’ve been hearing a lot recently about how difficult life is for a lot of people with the cost-of-living crisis, so I know how privileged I am to be able to row for a living. Coming from Brimingham I know how hard life can be and that it could be very different for me. 

“Everybody’s out there with their own challenges - I’ve been through my fair share of them - but to be going to Paris is nothing but a privilege. I’m ready to get out there and try to bring back a medal.”

Aldi are proud Official Partners of Team GB & ParalympicsGB, supporting all athletes through to Paris 2024.