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Tokyo Calympian: Rowan McKellar, Rowing, Great Britain
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Tokyo Calympian: Rowan McKellar, Rowing, Great Britain

Another member of Cal's 2016 National Championship team will be a first-time Olympian

Ruey Yen
Jul 12, 2021
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The third of our Tokyo Calympians who will race in Women’s Four is Rowan McKellar for Great Britain. She and her GB mates will race against Australian Calympian Rosie Popa and American Calympian Kendall Chase.

Rowan McKellar

Sport: Rowing

Event: Women’s Four

Nation: Great Britain

Hometown: Glasgow, Scotland

Olympic Appearance: 1st

Age: 27 (24 May 1994)

Cal connection: Alumna (‘17, Sociology)

Cal accomplishments: As a part of the Varsity 8 boat, Rowan McKellar is yet another member of that 2016 NCAA title-winning crew in her junior season. She rowed on the 2nd Varsity 8 boat her freshman year before making the jump to Varsity 8.

rmckellar24
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Had a great time at the National Wet T-Shirt Competition this weekend #nattychamps#missionextraordinary#gobears#blessed

rmckellar24
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It’s official!!! Tokyo Olympics here I come! 🇯🇵🇯🇵

For Tokyo, Rowan McKellar will team with Harriet Taylor, Karen Bennett, and Rebecca Shorten in the Great Britain women’s four boat.

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Check out the cute picture below of Rowan rowing with her dad when she was 9 years old. She has come a long way to become an Olympian. McKellar started rowing at that age because her parents were rowing coaches.

Twitter avatar for @tmckellar123Trish McKellar @tmckellar123
@MckellarRowan age 9 in her first race on the river Clyde rowing in Generation Doubles with her dad. Today she was selected for the Olympic team in Tokyo. Go Rowan!!👌👌👏👏🙌🙌. @broxbourneRC @CalWRowing @vestarowing @watsonsrowing @ScottishRowing @BritishRowing
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June 9th 2021

9 Retweets129 Likes

Rowan McKellar chatted with British Rowing about her relatively late ascension in the British National Team. She did not make the U23 national team until two years after being at Cal. After graduating from Cal, McKellar finally got to represent Great Britain on the senior team at the 2017 World Cup where she helped their Eight boat to a Silver and won a Bronze in pair.

Twitter avatar for @BritishRowingBritish Rowing @BritishRowing
Winner of this year’s Olympic trials with pairs partner Rebecca Shorten, @MckellarRowan has had a fantastic start to her GB senior career since her 2017 debut. We spoke to her about her career highlights so far, advice to her younger self and much more 💬
bit.ly/2Ww68DiMeet the Team: Rowan McKellar - British RowingOlympic trials winner Rowan talks missing out on GB selection, winning medals and winter trainingbit.ly

May 10th 2020

5 Retweets8 Likes

She would tell her younger self to be more chilled and has spent a lot of lockdown time gardening and baking, which is also very British based on all of the baking and gardening programs that are on TV there (and has since made it across the pond to the US).

What advice do you wish you could give your younger self?

I think I’d tell myself to relax and enjoy it a bit more. I get worried about a whole lot of things I can’t control and I’d tell myself to chill.

Other than training, how else have you been spending your time during lockdown?

I’ve been growing flowers, lots and lots of flowers! They’re all beginning to grow at the moment so it’s fun to see them progress each day. I’ve also been doing a lot of baking which I’m really enjoying.

What would you be doing if you weren’t a rower?

Honestly, at the moment I’d be a gardener… with baking on the side.

Twitter avatar for @LYRowingLondon Youth Rowing @LYRowing
GB rower & Olympic hopeful Rowan McKellar has dug out her NJIRC medal! Check out our #blog & hear why she thinks you should enter #NJIRC20
bit.ly/39aPi1E 📸 Nick Middleton
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February 10th 2020

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Great Britain obviously has had a great tradition in rowing. The return of Women’s Four to the Olympic Games this year is interesting since it requires both the strength of the eight but also the skill of the pair. Somewhat interestingly, most (if not all) of the national lineups have changed drastically since the 2019 World Championships. I can not find a good prediction on just which four boats will be medal contenders. I would not be surprised if Great Britain, USA, and Australia all qualified for the Women’s Four A Final.

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Best of luck to Rowan and her Great Britain crew in Tokyo!

Olympic Schedule

The women's rowing event at the Tokyo Games is scheduled for July 23-30 on the Sea Forest Waterway.

Date and Time: Sat 24 July 2021, 8:30 - 12:30

  • Women's Four Heats

Date and Time: Mon 26 July 2021, 9:00 - 11:20

  • Women's Four Repechage

Date and Time: Wed 28 July 2021, 8:30 - 11:40

  • Women's Four Final B

  • Women's Four Final A

  • Women's Four Victory Ceremony

GO BEARS!

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the beer
Jul 12, 2021

This is tough. Cal Bears good. Scots good. I wish her the best.

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