Guin Batten, a former professional rower who won an Olympic silver medal in Sydney in 2000

Guin was introduced to rowing by her sister at 19 whilst at Southampton University. In her early years Guin excelled in a variety of school sports, playing county hockey and athletics.

During this podcast we learn more about the set backs that Guin faced trying to follower her dream, from being told she would never make it as a rower, to being so broke she was sleeping on changing room floors.

This is a story of courage and conviction and how by work hard, using everything you have you can achieve your goals.

Guin provides lots of top tips to help you face your own challenges, and also shares more knowledge on how you can take up rowing and maybe one day row an ocean!

Show notes

• When she started rowing
• Loving sport at school and how she learnt the rules of life through sport
• Rowing in the novice pot and taking 3 years to win it
• What she loved about rowing
• Growing up in West Africa and going to boarding school when she was 9
• Being expelled from school at 11
• Deciding she wanted to go to the Olympics
• Making the GB Team
• Having to work hard at her technique
• Not making the team and being told she was too small and that she would never be an international rower
• Being ranked 8th in the world in the single scull
• 5’7 tall
• Having no money and not being able to afford to go to her first World Championships
• Sleeping on floors and trying to cut her outgoings
• How she get’s over disappointment
• Her first World Championships rowing in the single scull
• The challenges she has faced throughout her international rowing career
• Dealing with injury before the 2000 Olympics
• The 2000 Olympics, the challenges, the race, the day, the experience
• Having to change the crew 5 weeks before the race
• Being coached by Mike Spracklen
• Having a race off for the last place in the boat
• Team makers & Drivers
• Dealing with the pressure when the world is watching you
• Being able to turn on the raw emotion at the right time
• 4 cms…..
• What it was like afterwards
• Getting back into rowing and stroked the women 8 at the World Championships
• Struggling with overtraining
• Deciding to retire from rowing at 34
• Deciding to row the English Channel
• Waiting 4 months for the right weather to row the channel
• The start of her expedition career
• Not letting people erode your belief
• Surround yourself with people who believe in you 
• The Youth Sport Trust 
• Turning the BIG 50!
• Her rowing plan for the summer - Outrigger Canoeing…
• Advice if you want to get into rowing 

 

Social Media

Twitter @guinbatten

 

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