Double Olympic medallist Helen Glover will 'represent Cornwall' in 2024 games
Helen Glover is training to be the first mum of three to win a medal for Team GB
Last updated 22nd Jan 2024
Double Olympic gold medallist Helen Glover will be representing Cornwall when competing in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Helen Glover, who was born in Truro and bought up in Penzance, is aiming to become the first mum-of-three to win an Olympic medal.
One of Britain’s "greatest-ever rowers", Helen Glover became double Olympic Champion in the Women’s pair with Heather Stanning at both London 2012 and Rio 2016. By the time Paris 2024 comes around Glover will be 38, and with just six months to go until the games, she's been training hard to get back on the podium.
Helen Glover told Pirate FM: "I want to achieve for my children and I want them to be part of the journey of me doing it. I've created a great understanding and relationship with my coaches. I do more of my training from home than a lot of my team do.
"I can be there for the school pick-ups, the school runs and the after school clubs"
Helen continued: "There's a lot more conversation happening now around the Olympics. Their ears prick up and say: 'That's what my Mummy does!' It'll be nice that they get to feel it and really experience it this time. They were tiny babies really when I was at Tokyo but this time they can really see what I do."
At the delayed 2020 Tokyo games she just missed out on a medal, finished fourth in the final but made headlines as the first mum to represent Great Britain in rowing.
In 2023 she won silver at the 2023 European Rowing Championships and bronze at the 2023 World Championships in the Women’s four.
Helen Glover added: "You can do whatever you want, you can be whatever you want to be. I'm really grateful for all the support that I've always had. Every single time I've got to the Olympics, I've really wanted to represent Cornwall.
"You can be whatever you want to be"
"Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen to me. I guess I felt a little bit detached from the bright lights of the Olympics and that level of success. I never thought it would happen to someone like me."
Helen Glover’s journey to Olympic glory has been made possible by the UK Sport’s World Class Programme, receiving funding from The National Lottery just before her first Gold at London 2012. Helen is just one of 1,000 elite athletes who have received the funding on their pathway to Paris 2024.
The programme gives Helen access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering medical support.