Rebecca Shorten

Rebecca rowed as a junior in Belfast before walking away from the sport temporarily after becoming disillusioned, only for her father to encourage her to get back into a boat and chase her ambitions.

Her passion was recaptured when she joined Imperial College Boat Club while studying at Roehampton University. She graduated with a degree in sports science before juggling work commitments in a sports shop, nannying and training. Working in the shop 28 hours a week and being a nanny for another eight, meant she would only have time to train some mornings on the river Thames and each evening after 6pm at Imperial Boat Club

This determination led to her joining the GB Rowing Team in 2017 and she has thrived ever since, making her Olympic debut in the Women’s four at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games. She became Women’s four European and World Champion in 2022. At the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, she won a bronze medal in the women’s four, qualifying the boat for Paris 2024.

At Paris 2024 she won a superb silver in the Women’s four with Helen Glover, Esme Booth, and Sam Redgrave.

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Rebecca is keen to use her voice to continue to inspire the next generation of Northern Irish rowers. She remains in close contact with her coach at Methody Boat Club and tries to visit and share her story with the athletes there as often as she can.