Lauren Henry has had an undefeated season in a GB vest as Britain’s female single sculler; this week she is racing in Leicester Rowing Club’s colours (and neon socks) on English waters.
For Lauren Henry MBE, Henley Royal Regatta has changed over the years. A rowing prodigy who started her journey in the sport aged 14 at Leicester Rowing Club, her first Regatta appearance was aged 19 in the Premier event for women’s single sculls, The Princess Royal Challenge Cup. “I made the final and lost by three feet,” she says. " Still, as someone that had just come out of junior racing, that was a massive, massive thing for me."
The next year Lauren was knocked out of the week’s racing on Friday, by a World medallist. In 2023, she won The Princess Grace Challenge Cup racing with the rest of the GB women’s quadruple sculls crew. In 2024, she became an Olympic Champion.
“I remember back then, I was very young, I was definitely not a favourite. I used to like being the underdog and trying to take down people who were bigger. Now I feel like roles have reversed and I'm the one people are trying to chase down. But I quite enjoy that as well.”
"Because I do almost every race for Great Britain, there's something really special about pulling on your club colours and racing for them."
As GB’s national team sculler, Lauren has the support not just of her friends and family, but the country. “You hear so many shouts from people you don't even know, and it's so nice - the support on the bank. Because this is our home turf.”
Lauren’s used to hearing “Yeah, GB!” from crowds of supporters as she races around the globe, but here she hears something just as special - “Yeah, Leicester!”
“It’s really special to be racing for Leicester Rowing Club, because that is my club. That's the only club I've really had. I started at Leicester when I was 14, and I've been there ever since.
“When you first put on your GB all-in-one, it feels so special to race for Great Britain. But now, because I do almost every race for Great Britain, there's something really special about pulling on your club colours and racing for them, especially as Leicester's quite a small club. We have a lot of pride in representing our clubs at Henley.”
Lauren’s family are avid supporters and follow her around the world to watch her race. But at Henley Royal Regatta, she has the support of people from her home club. “I saw some of Leicester Rowing Club as I was rowing down to the start line this morning. It's really special to be here, it's so much more local than the international races.”
This year’s programme is even more poignant for Lauren, as it brings with it three new events for women’s sculling at Junior, Student and Intermediate level.
“Since we've seen The Prince Philip Challenge Trophy come in for junior women's eights, the standard of junior women's sweep rowing has gone right through the roof. We’re getting medals at the Junior World Championships in sweep boats, often winning. We weren’t doing that before. And I think that's partly down to Henley, and there being an event for people to strive for.
“In British club rowing, everyone wants to do well at multiple events each year. But if you lost everything else and you won at Henley Royal Regatta, most people would call that a massive success for the season.
Now you can race sculling at every single level for women from Junior right through to the Premier events. So there's a boat class for everyone. I think it will be fantastic for rowing in Britain and the GB Rowing Team.”
No longer a junior rower, Lauren is now the seasoned sculler being asked for wisdom in the boat tents.
"Juniors are sharing boat tents with Olympic Champions. Everyone's there, racing on the same stretch, doing it together."
“Henley Royal Regatta is different from international six lane racing,” she says. “It's quite easy when you're lining up at a World Cup or World Championships to get your start right. Here, steering off the Island is so difficult. Some of the junior boats I look at and I'm like, ‘Wow, they're foot steering it so well for 16, 17, 18-year-olds.’ I think I’d struggle foot steering that well!”
Lauren describes Henley Royal Regatta as ‘gladiatorial’ as she appreciates the unique opportunity presented to rowers who earn a place racing on one of the world’s most iconic stretches of river.
“Juniors are sharing boat tents with Olympic Champions. Everyone's there, racing on the same stretch, doing it together. It's definitely such a special event.”
Lauren’s trophy cabinet is glittering, decorated with national medals right up to Olympic gold, and two Henley Royal Regatta red boxes. So what does a Henley win mean to her?
“It means as much to win here as it would to win a World Cup or a European Championships. And there's something about the event, the buzz in the town. You get dressed up for trophy presentations, so the talk in our national training centre in Caversham when Henley's on is ‘has everyone got their dresses ready’ ‘Has everyone got their nails done’ which is completely different. We really love the chance to race here.”
If you don’t recognise Lauren from the Paris Olympics and you happen to be on the Henley bank this weekend, you’ll spot her by her iconic neon socks.
“I'm known for wearing my socks for every session I do on the water. If it's a tech session, I've got my socks on. If it's a piece session, I've got my socks on. I'm actually not allowed to wear them when racing for GB, so I love wearing them here at Henley. I’ve got some terrible tan lines for my socks, but it’s something that really makes me feel like I'm in race mode.”
Lauren is unbeaten this season - will she retain her Princess Royal Challenge Cup title on Sunday? The only thing to do is watch.
