Bring Sport To The People Says Helen Glover
Double Olympic gold medallist rower, Helen Glover joined senior figures from the world of sport from a range of organisations including AELTC, DAZN, ESPN, ECB, Leicester City Football Club, Kindred, Samsung and many more at the latest gathering of the Sport Industry Private Dining Club hosted by Integro Entertainment & Sport last night.
Helen, who only took up rowing in 2008 – four years before becoming Olympic champion at London 2012, was talent spotted through the UK Sport’s Sporting Giants programme. Alongside her rowing partner, Heather Stanning, Helen won Team GB’s first gold of London 2012 and also claimed British Rowing’s first ever female gold medal. The pair then went on to defend their title claiming gold again at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
When asked about how the sport of rowing could grow and develop a new audience, Glover referenced the athletics model of the Great City Games and suggested rowing could adopt a similar approach, “I would love to see more cities embrace the sport, many of the UK’s cities have rivers in close proximity. By following the athletics model of city centre events we could help inspire and grow rowing by bringing the sport to the people.”
Helen also explained that these events exist in other countries, “In Germany they have really successful short sprint events in the city centres and the banks are packed for the events.” And hopes something similar in the UK would be a genuine boost for the sport, “It would help alert people to the number of rowing clubs there are right on their doorstep. People can be a mile away from a club and not know it is there.”
With TV Presenter Rebecca Charlton asking the questions, Helen also told the members and their guests about the unexpected emotions following her Olympic success at London 2012.
“Winning the first gold for Team GB at London 2012 was not something that I had prepared for. I had prepared for many years for the race, but the aftermath was something else. The podium was a very strange experience, I felt almost detached from the event. I had thought about this moment since I was a little girl and I could have told you exactly what an Olympic champion should feel – excited and proud. I knew this is what I should be feeling but I felt detached as though I was watching it through someone else’s eyes. It didn’t feel quite real and for about six months I couldn’t call myself Olympic champion as it didn’t feel like the title belonged to me.”
Helen celebrates winning gold in London 2012 alongside rowing patner Heather Stanning
As the focus turned towards defending her title at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with normal training resuming Helen highlighted that success in the Olympics doesn’t automatically equal sponsorship opportunities. Helen, however, was one of the faces of Samsung’s School of Rio campaign which was a winner at this year’s BT Sport Industry Awards. Helen explained: “Samsung was the first major partnership for me. Most people presumed that once you win an Olympic gold that you will walk away with multiple partnerships. To be partnered with a brand I really respected and enjoyed working with was a real highlight in the build-up to Rio.”
Helen wouldn’t be drawn on what her next steps in her career would be and is leaving that decision open for the time being saying, “I am still undecided on the future. I always said that after Rio I would take a year out, and now Heather my partner has retired. I expected that I would have known by Easter if I would wanted to retire but that decision has not quite been made yet.”
The invitation-only members club meets four times a year at some of the best venues in London, providing top level representatives from across the sport industry with the opportunity to network and socialise in an informal and relaxed setting. To find out more about the Sport Industry Private Dining Club hosted by Integro Entertainment & Sport, please contact Alex Coulson, executive director, Sport Industry Group, at alex.coulson@benchmarksport.com.
