Gold medal-winning British rower Lola Anderson expressed her gratitude for the unwavering support from her father following a thrilling last-stroke triumph for the women’s quadruple sculls team.
With emotion in her voice, Anderson reflected on her path to the podium, highlighting a pivotal moment when her father, Don, handed her a note that she had penned seven years earlier during the London 2012 Olympics. At that time, as a teenager, she described her aspiration to row for Great Britain and win a gold medal, only to discard it due to fear of seeming arrogant.
“I discarded that paper because I lacked belief,” said Anderson about the note her father, himself a rower, retrieved and returned to her shortly before his passing in 2019.
“I was just 14 then, so why would I have believed? Young girls often struggle to see themselves as capable, athletic individuals, but that’s changing now. My dad recognized my potential before I did. I wouldn’t have unlocked it without the support of the teammates I shared the finish line with. He would be incredibly proud today.
“That piece of paper is invaluable to me, perhaps second only to this medal I now hold. It’s safely stored in a tin with all my dad’s old medals in my room.”
In a breathtaking finish under intense heat, the British team of Anderson, Hannah Scott, Lauren Henry, and Georgie Brayshaw surged ahead of a strong Netherlands crew right at the final stroke. Their triumph by a mere 0.15 seconds marked a turning point for British rowing, especially after a disappointing performance in Tokyo.
“We’ve made a remarkable comeback,” said Henry, the youngest team member at 22. “As long as we believe, the race is never over until we cross that finish line. I had a feeling we’d won, but it wasn’t until I looked at the big screen and saw ‘GBR 1’ that I truly believed it – that moment was pure ecstasy.”
Scott was the only survivor from the Tokyo team, where Great Britain finished seventh. Now, they are crowned Olympic, world, and European champions; the Coleraine-born athlete reflected on her incredible transformation over the past three years.
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“I maintained my belief, and it never wavered,” she stated. “You must learn from your challenging experiences, and I was resolved to come back stronger and aim for gold.
“British rowing has been on an upward trajectory throughout this journey, and today demonstrates the talent that is emerging.”
