Alison Mowbray

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Dr Alison Mowbray is an Olympic medallist, a PhD in Genetic Engineering, a science teacher, inspirational speaker and leadership development consultant.

She also uses her sporting and science background to deliver entertaining talks and workshops on nutrition and exercise to help people to remove both the psychological and physiological barriers that limit their performance. She believes that achieving dreams and goals is down to commitment and self-belief as well as skills and processes that can be learnt.

Alison was on the British rowing team for seven years and competed in five World Championships and two Olympic Games. A sporting disaster area at school, having not even stepped in a boat until she went to Liverpool University at the age of 18, Alison then kept rowing on the back burner for many years while she pursued an academic career.

Having achieved a PhD in Genetic Engineering from Cambridge in 1997 at the age of 26 she moved to London and made the British rowing team that year. Two years later she achieved last minute qualification for the Sydney Olympics where she finished 10th in the single sculls event. It was not until then, at the age of 29, that an Olympic medal seemed even a possibility. Before the Sydney Games was over Alison had decided she wanted to row for four more years, go to Athens and come back with a medal.

Balancing part-time teaching with full-time training, the story of her next four years is one of dedication, teamwork and personal leadership. In Athens in August 2004 Alison rowed the race of her life and came home with an Olympic Silver Medal. Having achieved her own dream Alison now works to inspire and help others achieve theirs.

Alison may have retired from international rowing but released from the rigour of being a full-time athlete she has learnt to dive, sail, windsurf, ski and swim open water, has run the London, Paris, Zurich and Brighton Marathons (fastest time 3.29), cycled Lands End to John O'Groats, won her first 100 mile cycle sportive, hiked hundreds of miles and climbed dozens of mountains here and abroad. Her adventures are self-planned and self-supported and many are solo. All are balanced around a busy work schedule because she believes you don't have to give up your day job to lead an adventurous life.

She featured in the Channel 4 documentary 'Dangerous Jobs For Girls' where she teamed up with two others to take on one of the last bastions of male dominated work and 'man' a commercial fishing trawler in the South Australian Ocean.

She is passionate about the need for exercise and good nutrition. As a rower she was injury free all her career and has remained so despite all her new activities. Her scientific background and practical experience have helped her make sense of the sometimes confusing wealth of health advice that surrounds us.

"Despite being asked to speak at very short notice, Alison was thoroughly prepared, presented very well and used her experience to illustrate points she was asked to make. She was very positively received by her audience of MP'S, Peers, Media and colleagues from the world of sport. She is open and friendly and showed endless patience having photographs taken and allowing the audience to see her Olympic medal. The CCPR would highly recommend Alison to speak at any event." Chief Executive CCPR

Alison Mowbray

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