Ruth Walczak

Rower // Lightweight Women's Squad
Date of Birth: 15th Sep 1988 (36 years old)
Club: Molesey Boat Club
Height: 172.00
Hometown: Rochdale

Ruth Walczak profile image

Lightweight rower Ruth Walczak has won two World Championships medals during the Rio 2016 Olympiad.

Ruth Walczak is a qualified designer who first represented the GB Rowing Team in 2005 during a highly-successful junior career and also made four appearances at the World U23 Championships.

Ruth finished 2015 on a high by winning lightweight women’s quadruple scull silver at the World Championships in Aiguebelette

On The Water

2015

World Silver Medallist Lightweight Women's Quadruple Scull

2013

World Bronze Medallist Lightweight Women's Single Scull

2012

European Bronze Medallist Lightweight Women's Double Scull

Rio 2016 Olympiad: 2013 – 2016

Ruth finished 2015 on a high by winning lightweight women’s quadruple scull silver at the World Championships in Aiguebelette with Ellie Piggott, Brianna Stubbs and Emily Craig. The same quartet had won gold at the Holland Beker regatta earlier in the season, with Ruth and Emily also bagging silver in the lightweight double.

After finishing second at the GB Rowing Team Senior Trials, Ruth raced in the lightweight single throughout 2013 and was just outside the medals at all three World Cup regattas. She finally earned a deserved podium place at the World Championships in Chungju, winning bronze.

She improved to silver at the following year’s Aiguebelette World Cup before finishing the season in the lightweight quad with Ellie, Brianna and Charlotte Taylor. They finished eighth in the open-weight category at the World Cup in Lucerne and sixth at the World Championships in Amsterdam.

Brianna Stubbs, Ruth Walczak, Emily Craig and Ellie Piggott won silver in the lightweight women's quad at the 2015 World Championships in Aiguebelette
Ruth Walczak

London 2012 Olympiad: 2009 – 2012

Ruth made her third appearance at the World U23 Championships in 2009, finishing fifth in the women’s four. She was then eighth with the quad at the following year’s event in Brest.

On her GB senior debut at the 2012 European Championships in Varese, Ruth and Imogen Walsh won bronze in the lightweight women’s double after just being edged out of second place following a good battle with an experienced pairing from Greece.

GB Competitive Record

World Rowing Championships
2015 LW4x
2014 6th LW4x
2013 LW1x
World Rowing Championships:
2015
LW4x
World Rowing Championships:
2014
6th
LW4x
World Rowing Championships:
2013
LW1x
European Championships
2012 LW2x
European Championships:
2012
LW2x
World Rowing U23 Championships
2010 8th W4x
2009 5th W4-
2008 4th W2x
2007 5th W1x
World Rowing U23 Championships:
2010
8th
W4x
World Rowing U23 Championships:
2009
5th
W4-
World Rowing U23 Championships:
2008
4th
W2x
World Rowing U23 Championships:
2007
5th
W1x
Coupe de la Jeunesse
2006 W2x
2005 W1x
Coupe de la Jeunesse:
2006
W2x
Coupe de la Jeunesse:
2005
W1x
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials
2015 5th LW1x
2013 2nd LW1x
2010 9th W1x
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2015
5th
LW1x
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2013
2nd
LW1x
GB Rowing Team Senior Trials:
2010
9th
W1x

More info...

Ruth enjoyed great success as a junior and twice represented GB at the Coupe de la Jeunesse, winning gold in the women’s single in 2005 and in the women’s double in 2006. She also claimed a hat-trick of National Schools Regatta title between 2005 and 2007, with two successes in the single coming either side of a double win in 2006.

Ruth first competed at the World U23 Championships in Glasgow in 2007, finishing fifth in the single. She was then fourth in the double at the 2008 event in Brandenburg.

Club: Molesey Boat Club
Boat: Lightweight Women’s Squad
Role: Rower
Coaches: Paul Reedy
Learnt to Row: Hollingworth Lake Rowing Club
Original Club(s): Hollingworth Lake Rowing Club
Original Coach(es): John Reynolds, Neasa Folan

 

Beyond the Boat

Ruth graduated with a 1st Class Honours degree in Product Design from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design.  When not training she puts her degree to good use by working as an intern at 1HQ, a design business based in Windsor.

In her spare time Ruth enjoys cooking and ‘upcycling’ second hand furniture.

Ruth is Lottery Funded through UK Sport.

Personal information

Current Address Home Town
London Rochdale
Current Address:
London
Home Town:
Rochdale
Date of Birth Height
15th September 1988 172cm
Date of Birth:
15th September 1988
Height:
172cm
Education
University of London
Education:
University of London