OLYMPIC champions Helen Glover and Heather Stanning struck gold for Great
Britain.
Now they would love to strike it rich for themselves.
Because the golden girls of rowing are preparing themselves for fame and,
hopefully, fortune after their women’s pair triumph at Eton Dorney.
The nation’s newest heroes have made precious little money chasing their
dream.
Stanning is an Army captain who is due back on parade in September while
Glover was a PE teacher.
Neither of them has a sponsor and their only funding is a grant from GB
Rowing’s cut of Lotto cash.
They are girl-next-door types at an Olympics packed with multi-millionaire
superstars like Roger Federer, Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps.
But their stunning surge to Team GB’s first-ever women’s rowing gold — and
first of London 2012 — catapulted them into the elite of British sport and
they are now open to offers.
Glover grinned: “If there is a fortune out there now that would be great.
“GB Rowing is sponsored by the National Lottery which is great but I don’t get
any money myself. First and foremost we do it because of our love for the
sport and for days like today.
“We will always stay grounded but it’s going to be interesting to see what
happens now.”
Sandhurst graduate Stanning, 27, is also wondering how her life will change
now. She said: “It hasn’t all sunk in yet, we will both have to take a
moment to look at things.
“There are so many people wanting to talk to us, take our pictures.
“People are saying we will be all over the television and newspapers now. Be a
millionaire? I don’t know about that… it would be nice though.”
Both girls are planning a holiday, although Stanning is due to return to the
Royal Artillery next month.
She said: “It was a childhood dream to join the Army and a dream to win gold
at the Olympics.
“It might be nice to go back to work to get some normality again after all of
this.
“I’ve had lots of messages from guys who I served with who are out in
Afghanistan right now.
“That they are taking the time to check on me when they are out there doing
such an important job is amazing.”
Stanning and Glover won by over a length from Australians Kate Hornsey and
Sarah Tait with New Zealand’s world champions Juliette Haigh and Rebecca
Scown taking bronze.
But the Brits were quick to praise everyone who helped them achieve their
sporting goal — from former teachers and trainers to their own Olympic
heroines.
Glover, 26, said she got the bug when: “I saw Kelly Holmes winning her two
gold medals. And Denise Lewis — I read her autobiography and it was
absolutely inspiring.
“They are both great role models.”
Stanning added: “I really admire Ellen MacArthur. You have to be incredibly
single-minded to race around the world on your own.”
But they saved the biggest thank-you for coach Robin Williams who guided the
pair to gold despite them having just two years together.
Glover only took up rowing four years ago and gives Williams the credit for
the pair’s spectacular rise.
She said: “What makes us so special? So fast? That’s easy… Robin.
“There is no way we would be sitting here with gold medals around our necks
without him. He’s like a third person in our boat.
“He never stops thinking of ways we can improve. He never stops working on our
technique.”
Steve Redgrave also played a part in their victory.
It was the rowing legend’s appeal for wannabe athletes to try out the sport
that persuaded Glover to have a go. But she admitted it was a close call.
She said: “You had to be 5ft 10in and I’m only 5ft 9½in so I had to stand on
my tip-toes to get in.
“At the last Olympics I had only been rowing for two months but I remember
watching what the girls were doing and thinking I wanted to be in the GB
team at the next one.
“It inspired me to work hard to achieve that.
“Now I hope this can inspire other young girls to join in and enjoy sport.
That would be brilliant.”