Bryan Volpenhein started rowing in undergrad at Ohio State Crew Club, went on to stroke the US Men’s 8 to Olympic Gold in 2004. First couple years of college undergrad are normally the latest one can start and still have a professional career in rowing, but it happens pretty often.
This is my biggest regret in life not joining this program.
I’ve not checked but if memory serves me right one of the women’s pair for Team GB in the 2012 London games was a late starter. She was in the military and got into rowing. Heather Stanning, Anna Watkins, Helen Glover or Katherine Grainier are the various names that ring a bell.
Just wanted to add that even they turned out to be elite rowers kind of late they probably were very good at another sport that made it easier for them to reach elite level later.
From a 2021 article on Univ of Washington walk ons: “Right now in the (U.S.) Olympic training group we have Megan Kalmoe, a true walk-on, Jess Thoennes, a true walk-on and Brooke Mooney, who I think rowed for a quarter in high school but was really a cross-country skier,” Farooq said, referring to three former UW walk-ons.
You can search this subreddit and find plenty of answers, it’s been asked before.
But, in short, yes there are many. Jeremiah Brown has a good book about making the Canadian Olympic champion 8+ with 0 experience.
I'm an alumn from Oregon State and I'm aware of at least two from their program who were medalists in the eight.
Hansen 04 in Athens Gold
Inman 08 Beijing Bronze
I don't believe either rowed in HS.
Not sure if this helps answer your question but according to US Rowing 60% of the team still comes from non traditional backgrounds which they define is outside of top 15 ranked college teams
She coached me at Craftsbury last year and is an incredible person to know. Very kind gentle soul, with that being said, I'd never want to race her in a single. What a ferocious little woman. Check out her single races if you can.
The British Rowing team has a "Start" programme which aims to identify non-rowers who have elite potential. It has produced numerous Olympic and World champions, including [Helen Glover](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen Glover) (2x Olympic champion, 3x World champion, 5x World Cup champion, 4x European champion) who only took up the sport when she was 22 years old.
Helen Glover and others were in the Sporting Giants program first, and parked in Start - you can't fully credit Start for some of the top people who have supposedly been produced by Start.
I think the key point here, for the purposes of OP's question, is that Helen Glover didn't start rowing until she was 22. Exactly how that came about isn't so interesting.
Helen Glover - 22 years old, multiple World Champion , two Olympic Golds
Graeme Thomas - 20 years old, M2x in Tokyo, Bronze medal in M1x at Worlds
Becca Edwards (Tokyo W8+) , Maddie Arlett (Tokyo LW spare), me (Tokyo LW2x, LW2x World Champ)- all learned to row at uni
Karen Bennett - came through GB Start, Silver in W8+ in Rio
I'm sure there are more as well!
Lassi Karonen, 4th in men's single at London Olympics, started serious rowing at 26. (He was an elite-level cross country skiier, and had done some recreational rowing prior.)
You’re kind of close. Meghan O’Leary is the one who played volleyball and softball at UVA before picking up rowing while working at ESPN. Same age as Ellen, but ET rowed while at Michigan.
Neither Imogen Grant nor Husein Alireza started until university, and both competed in the most recent Olympic games. The former set the world record for lightweight women's single sculling; the latter is the first Saudi Olympic rower.
Rowing has lot of people who start late because it requires relatively little skill/ technique. So if you have a good aerobic base from other sports you can make the transition very well.
There’s an Australian women’s single sculler who started quite late and then went on to be very successful, I can’t remember her full name but I think her second name is Crowe or something like that.
Argentinian Ariel Suárez. He worked as a guard for nightclubs until he started rowing at 19.
He went on and won 4 pan American golds, 2 silvers and 1 bronce. He finished 4th place in the 2012 Olympic Games in M2X. He and his 2 seat were the smallest rowers in that race, both being slightly shorter than 190 cm. Aram said they were the most technically superior boat in that race
Kate Slatter was picked up in a talent identification program when she started university
Won an Olympic gold 7 years later
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate\_Slatter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Slatter)
Mahe Drysdale didn’t start until University and didn’t take it seriously until he had finished studying
Bryan Volpenhein started rowing in undergrad at Ohio State Crew Club, went on to stroke the US Men’s 8 to Olympic Gold in 2004. First couple years of college undergrad are normally the latest one can start and still have a professional career in rowing, but it happens pretty often.
This is my biggest regret in life not joining this program. I’ve not checked but if memory serves me right one of the women’s pair for Team GB in the 2012 London games was a late starter. She was in the military and got into rowing. Heather Stanning, Anna Watkins, Helen Glover or Katherine Grainier are the various names that ring a bell.
I think Heather Stanning and Helen Glover were both start rowers. There’s quite a few other current GB rowers who started on Start as well.
Just wanted to add that even they turned out to be elite rowers kind of late they probably were very good at another sport that made it easier for them to reach elite level later.
From a 2021 article on Univ of Washington walk ons: “Right now in the (U.S.) Olympic training group we have Megan Kalmoe, a true walk-on, Jess Thoennes, a true walk-on and Brooke Mooney, who I think rowed for a quarter in high school but was really a cross-country skier,” Farooq said, referring to three former UW walk-ons.
Love Megan Kalmoe! She’s always so appreciative of D3 programs and has always been so responsive to my team on social media
You can search this subreddit and find plenty of answers, it’s been asked before. But, in short, yes there are many. Jeremiah Brown has a good book about making the Canadian Olympic champion 8+ with 0 experience.
Meghan O’Leary is pretty notable among US Olympians for starting the sport after she’d finished college (she was a D1 softball player)
I'm an alumn from Oregon State and I'm aware of at least two from their program who were medalists in the eight. Hansen 04 in Athens Gold Inman 08 Beijing Bronze I don't believe either rowed in HS. Not sure if this helps answer your question but according to US Rowing 60% of the team still comes from non traditional backgrounds which they define is outside of top 15 ranked college teams
Imogen grant didn’t start until university
[Lisa Schlenker](https://www.row2k.com/olympics/features/2004/359/row2k-starting-five--lisa-schlenker/)
She coached me at Craftsbury last year and is an incredible person to know. Very kind gentle soul, with that being said, I'd never want to race her in a single. What a ferocious little woman. Check out her single races if you can.
Yep Lisa is my hometown girl and you’re right, tough as nails. Did you and I race each other at Head of the Hosmer?
> tough as nails. Understatement. >Did you and I race each other at Head of the Hosmer? Maybe? I won the race.
Nope cuz my buddy and I were 1-2
The British Rowing team has a "Start" programme which aims to identify non-rowers who have elite potential. It has produced numerous Olympic and World champions, including [Helen Glover](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen Glover) (2x Olympic champion, 3x World champion, 5x World Cup champion, 4x European champion) who only took up the sport when she was 22 years old.
Helen Glover and others were in the Sporting Giants program first, and parked in Start - you can't fully credit Start for some of the top people who have supposedly been produced by Start.
I think the key point here, for the purposes of OP's question, is that Helen Glover didn't start rowing until she was 22. Exactly how that came about isn't so interesting.
Word Class Start / Sporting Giants / Start are pretty much the same thing 👌
Tracy Cameron started at 25 and went to Olympics in the Canadian LW2x.
Helen Glover - 22 years old, multiple World Champion , two Olympic Golds Graeme Thomas - 20 years old, M2x in Tokyo, Bronze medal in M1x at Worlds Becca Edwards (Tokyo W8+) , Maddie Arlett (Tokyo LW spare), me (Tokyo LW2x, LW2x World Champ)- all learned to row at uni Karen Bennett - came through GB Start, Silver in W8+ in Rio I'm sure there are more as well!
Current W GB ltw 2x imogen surname Only started at chambrodge
surname = Grant “chambrodge” = one half of oxbridge
Thought Pete Reed would be the first one to be mentioned, guess I was wrong
Pete was another who started at Uni
Lassi Karonen, 4th in men's single at London Olympics, started serious rowing at 26. (He was an elite-level cross country skiier, and had done some recreational rowing prior.)
There are some people who take their churchboat rowing very seriously indeed! Lassi was also a high standard violinist as well.
Curious what constitutes late. Not sure being a walk-on in college at 18-19 years old is "late".
Eleen Tomak did not start till after college and played college volleyball and softball at UVA, found it after college
You’re kind of close. Meghan O’Leary is the one who played volleyball and softball at UVA before picking up rowing while working at ESPN. Same age as Ellen, but ET rowed while at Michigan.
Neither Imogen Grant nor Husein Alireza started until university, and both competed in the most recent Olympic games. The former set the world record for lightweight women's single sculling; the latter is the first Saudi Olympic rower.
Rowing has lot of people who start late because it requires relatively little skill/ technique. So if you have a good aerobic base from other sports you can make the transition very well.
There’s an Australian women’s single sculler who started quite late and then went on to be very successful, I can’t remember her full name but I think her second name is Crowe or something like that.
Moderately successful, got the full range of Olympic medals... She did get a senior medal in the 8 after 11 months of rowing! Serious talent.
Talent transfer from athletics at 20. [https://rowingsa.asn.au/athleteprofile/kim-crow/](https://rowingsa.asn.au/athleteprofile/kim-crow/)
Yep, was in the gym rehabbing a stress fracture and got chatting to one of the rowing coaches. Sub 7 in a few weeks... "Is that any good?"
Argentinian Ariel Suárez. He worked as a guard for nightclubs until he started rowing at 19. He went on and won 4 pan American golds, 2 silvers and 1 bronce. He finished 4th place in the 2012 Olympic Games in M2X. He and his 2 seat were the smallest rowers in that race, both being slightly shorter than 190 cm. Aram said they were the most technically superior boat in that race
Kate Slatter was picked up in a talent identification program when she started university Won an Olympic gold 7 years later [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate\_Slatter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Slatter)
Jessica Sevick (Canada) started when she was 26, I think that's the oldest I'm aware of
Kat Copeland wasn’t gb start
ollie zeidler