Heidi's journey to Olympic bronze gathered steam at Marlow Rowing Club

Heidi Long (right) with her gold medal from Paris 2024. Photo: Chloe Knott/Team GB

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Training just a stone’s throw away from Henley ignited a passion for Team GB star Heidi Long that eventually drove her towards Olympic stardom, writes Will Castle.

In her Games debut at Paris 2024, Long helped deliver Team GB a podium spot in the women’s eight, just missing out on silver after being pipped at the line by defending champions Canada.

Earning a place on the podium at pinnacle of her sport, it acts as the culmination of a journey that first gained steam at Marlow Rowing Club, with Long citing the picturesque setting as the perfect place to find her boating feet.

“I was with my family on a walk in Marlow and we saw the junior rowers out on the Marlow stretch,” she said, recalling her first interaction with the club. “I thought that it actually looked like something I really want to be a part of.

“We just walked over and had a chat with the coaches there and I had a trial a week later and that's kind of the rest of the story.

“Marlow Rowing Club ignited my love for the sport. It's a beautiful town to spend your time in over the weekends and just the people there and the environment we got to train in was amazing.

“We had a really competitive but fun group of girls and they became my closest friends. But we also worked really hard together and were always pushing each other on, so I just loved being in that environment.”

Long was speaking ahead of the Great British Rowing Weekend on September 7-8, which will see clubs around the country opening their doors to their local communities, giving everyone in the UK a chance to try rowing and grow visibility and participation in the sport.

Marlow will be among those hosting a weekend of fun activities to showcase the best of rowing, from give it a go-sessions to round robins, erg competitions and more.

They will also take part in The Big Row - Love Rowing’s annual fundraiser - helping row the distance from Paris to Los Angeles.

“That’s countless kilometres and like I say, you cannot do this sport by yourself,” Long added, emphasising the importance of teamwork and community in the sport. “It’s going to take everyone at the club and also people who have never been involved in rowing.

“It'd be great to get even more people into the sport and into the community in the long-term. You can never have too much fun or too many people around.”

W A celebration of rowing! The Great British Rowing Weekend launches in 2024. From 7-8 September 2024, clubs around the country will be opening their doors to their local communities, giving everyone in the UK a chance to try rowing – for more information visit britishrowing.org