I’m Jen, alias "jenh" on the Concept2 UK forum. I was never into sports at school. I was only interested in cricket and rugby and was not allowed to play either at school – I had to play netball which I hated with a passion and so was written off as useless at sport in the first week of secondary school! I usually had to swim for my house at the swimming gala but that was because I was the only person who was willing to try butterfly.

So having done very little activity at university and beyond, at the age of 26 I decided I really ought to do something. So I entered the Great North Run and then the London Marathon. I got round them both but ended up injured so started looking for something else to do. My husband, Ian, had taken up rowing so I decided to have a go and to his dismay I found I was faster than he was. My first regatta I lost my novice status sculling in a coxed quad and I was pretty much hooked.  I also loved the erg, which very few people at the club seemed to.

In 2007 I started my PhD at Durham University so I decided to try out for the Boat Club. I had my reservations as I was around 10 years older than the rest of the club, but I soon found I loved the discipline of training and even getting up at 5am, loading my single on the car, and driving up to Durham or Newcastle for early morning training in the cold, snow, wind and rain. I even found the 30’r20 sessions surprisingly enjoyable. The highlight of rowing with Durham was being selected for the 1^st VIII and coming 3^rd at Womens Head of the River, winning the S2 pennant.

After leaving DUBC I went back to rowing at Tees RC, mostly in my single, but also in some mixed and veteran crews. I enjoyed the endurance work and competed in the 50km Boston Rowing Marathon several times as well as setting the 100k 30-39 Hwt world record.

In 2009 I entered my first competition, the British Indoor Rowing Championships, and managed a sub 7:20 2k for the first time, coming 3^rd in 7:19.6.