featured-image

On her pre-Games routine I usually get up at 5am with my son – he’s my natural alarm clock these days – and spend an hour or two in the morning playing with him and getting ready for the day. I then drive out to training for 8am – I live about 20 minutes from the training facility. We spend one to two hours rowing in the morning – that first row is a long aerobic row and for me, that’s a really good time of the day to zone in, clear your head and get mentally right.

It’s so peaceful being out on a beautiful stretch of water first thing. The mindful aspect of rowing is one of the main reasons why I love it. I love going to the gym, I love training and I love being strong.



It’s the best part of my job: being a strong woman. On what makes her feel confident My hair is my pride and joy. It’s a work in progress, but I love to go and get my hair cut off.

I had long hair for a long time but when I came out as queer, I cut it shorter. It was a really liberating experience because it challenged what femininity means to me, and what being a woman meant. I feel most confident when I look good, from the clothing that I wear to how I do my hair.

It makes me feel confident when I’m on the start line. On her beauty game As I’m doing an outdoor sport, skincare is huge for me. As the years have gone by, I’ve been able to wear less make-up [than when I was younger] because I feel more confident in my own skin.

I was buzzing when Fenty announced they were partnering with the Games because me and my partner love it – I’ll be wearing a little bit on race day. The tinted moisturiser and the lip gloss from Fenty are my go-tos. The tinted moisturiser evens out my skin tone, which is important for someone who spends a lot of time outdoors because I can get quite red or just quite patchy, especially when I wear sunglasses.

For my hair, I use Catwalk by TIGI – I need something that holds and gives a bit of a curl to my hair. I actually permed my hair – I wanted a full Aussie mullet but I have really naturally straight hair, so I went for a full ’80s perm. Being an outdoor athlete you can sweat a lot.

I started using AKT natural deodorant and I couldn’t believe how well it works. My partner Jean and I absolutely love it – she likes the floral ones whereas I use the mandarin and neroli. On fragrance My everyday fragrance is Gucci Bloom.

I also like men’s fragrances . Smelling nice is important when you’re out there on the water. On SPF A big part of our job is being outside so we need to wear sunscreen .

We use Lifejacket sun protection, they’re the official supplier for British rowing. Their products actually give the best coverage and it lasts. I don’t want to get burnt and go crispy! On her skincare Cleansers are important to make sure you avoid breakouts from sweating or product build-up.

I’ve used The Ordinary for quite a long time now. I make sure I’m putting a barrier on my skin as well because you are showering so much, I’m stripping it of everything so I try to put moisture back in. I have quite dry skin, so I try to bring in a few natural oils and keep it as youthful-looking as possible! On the tech she uses for training Science is a massive part of what we do, and monitoring our own personal data is as well.

I use my Apple Watch Ultra every single day. I train eight hours a day, and it allows me to track where my body is at – whether my sleep isn’t right, or where my resting heart rate is – which is really crucial, especially when you have a baby. It can also indicate early signs of illness, so you can preempt it and start getting your supplements, like vitamin C .

For me, having that constant source of information has been vital. Consistency is key in this game. On her pre-race rituals I can’t believe I’m saying this but I shave my entire body before a race – I have an hour-long ritual.

I just want to feel really smooth, it’s that mindset of feeling fresh and confident. In Paris I’ll probably wear a navy strap with my Apple Watch Ultra to match our kit..

. or I might wear my Pride strap. Watch this space.

...

Back to Beauty Page