'I'm leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of Olympic glory – I even trained on my wedding day'

Rowers have a reputation for being hardcore but one Team GB Olympian took it to the next level by training on the morning of her wedding.

Glaswegian Rowan McKellar, 29, will compete at her second Games in Paris having finished fourth in Tokyo three years ago. That came in the women’s four, while McKellar will be part of the eight this time round. So to ensure she is in absolutely peak condition this summer, there is no slacking at all, even on the big day!

She said: “We had a very small ceremony with my family and my husband’s family. It was a really nice day, I’m very happy we just went for it. The little wedding was really nice and it was exactly what we imagined.

“I rowed in the morning and then headed off in the afternoon to get married. We actually surprised both our families on the day. It was very low-key and really fun. The training session wasn’t too hard, but one where I needed to keep to schedule, I had somewhere I needed to be!”

National Lottery players raise more than £30million a week for good causes including vital funding into sport – from grassroots to elite. To find out more visit: www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk #TNLAthletes Team GB endured a difficult time in Tokyo in 2021, failing to win a gold medal and finishing down in 14th position in the medal table. That followed an Olympic cycle in which the team had struggled at global level, but all that has changed over the last three years. Eight gold medals have gone Britain’s way in Olympic events over the last two World Championships – compared to none in the three editions prior to Tokyo.

McKellar was part of one of them in 2022. And while she was disappointed to miss out on the podium in Tokyo, McKellar believes she and the team are in a much stronger position heading to Paris.

She said: “It’s a funny one because if we had got a medal, it would have been absolutely amazing, but for the whole Olympic cycle, I don’t think we won a medal at the World Championships. A medal would have been absolutely incredible but we sort of finished where we had been finishing in the World Championship events.

“I am pleased we came fourth and not fifth, I’m pleased we made the final so there were a lot of positives. We stepped on really well throughout the regatta. It’s put me into a better place for this Games having done one but it is still a little bit disappointing.

“In the grand scheme of things, I think we did as well as we could have done. We executed what we had to offer. I’m hoping in Paris, if we can do that, we will have more to offer. If we can do that, I’m hoping we can get onto the podium.”

McKellar is now one of over 1,000 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme, allowing her to train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering medical support. The Covid-19 pandemic meant that not even McKellar’s nearest and dearest were able to watch her Olympic debut in person in Tokyo. But that will certainly not be the case in Paris, where most of the clan will be heading over.

She added: “Hopefully it will be a different experience with fans and I’m really excited that my family will be able to be there. I’m excited that it is so close.

“It was really cool that Tokyo was a big trip and going somewhere completely new. It would have been even more cool if the Covid situation hadn’t happened. But it’s really fun that this one is close, more aunties and uncles can come and I think it’s going to be exciting.

“My parents are die-hards. They are there for every single race. My mum missed one race, and it was actually the first medal that me and Hattie Taylor got in the pair. She insists now that she won’t miss another one.

“My parents are real rowing enthusiasts. It’s great knowing they will be there and most of the time they know when my races are before me. I ask them the dates of the World Cup and they are all over it. It’s great that they come out.”