Helen Glover is a prominent member of the Great Britain Rowing Team, and has had a glittering career as a British professional rower. Since 2015, she has been ranked the #1 female rower in the world, due to the fact that she is a two-time Olympic champion, three-time World champion, four-time World Cup champion and three-time European champion.
Alongside her partner, Heather Stanning, the athletes are considered to be the World, Olympic, World Cup and European world record holders, as well as the ruling World and European champions, as of June 2016 - all of which in the women’s coxless pairs. Helen is also widely respected as a British champion in both women's fours and quad sculls.
At the peak of her career, when partnered with Heather Stanning, Helen set the Olympic record, won the first gold medal by Team GB at the Games and the first Olympic gold medal for British women's rowing, at the 2012 Olympic Games. In the following year, at the 2013 World Rowing Championships in South Korea, Helen became the World Champion whilst partnered with Polly Swan. Helen and Polly were a formidable pair, and had previously won the 2014 European Rowing Championships at Belgrade.
Re-partnered with Heather, Helen retained the world title and set the world record time at the 2014 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam. In the following year, the pair retained their world title whilst competing at the 2015 World Rowing Championships in Lac d'Aiguebelette, France. Continuing their streak of success, the athletes went on to defend their European title at Brandenburg an der Havel in 2016, by setting the World Rowing Cup record time.
As a junior athlete, she was an international gold medal winning cross-country runner, swimmer, tennis player, runner and hockey player. When asked about her sporting history, Helen’s former PE teacher stated: “she always had this phenomenal all-round talent, totally committed and totally reliable”.
When asked about her experience in sports at a young age, Helen herself said “when I was at school I was quite strong-minded, I played in the boys’ football team. I wouldn’t let anyone tell me I couldn’t do anything", a mindset that she promotes as an inspirational speaker. Audiences who witness Helen present are inspired by her self-determination, and motivated to challenge their own sporting ability.
