Erin Mairead Kennedy (née Wysocki-Jones; born 5 August 1992) is a BritishParalympiccoxswain with the GB Rowing Team.[1] Erin is a three time World Champion, three time European Champion and World Best Time holder in the PR3 Mixed coxed four.[2][3] She has won every international competition and is the first and only coxswain to ever hold the Paralympic, World and European titles at the same time. [1]
Erin first represented Great Britain in the Women's 8+ at the 2017 European Championships in Račice, Czech Republic finishing fourth.[11] Kennedy then returned to the international stage at the 2018 World Championships in the PR3 Mix 4+, winning her first Gold with a crew of Oliver Stanhope, Daniel Brown, Grace Clough and Ellen Buttrick.[12]
In 2019, Kennedy and her crew, consisting of Oliver Stanhope, Ellen Buttrick, Giedrė Rakauskaitė and James Fox set a new World Best Time at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Ottensheim, Bulgaria in the PR3 Mix 4+ of 6:49.24 while also claiming a qualification place for Tokyo 2020.[13] The crew held the Guinness World Record for the fastest row in the PR3 Mix 4+ and were featured in the 2021 Book of Guinness World Records.[14] Kennedy was later part of the crew that broke her own world best time with a new standing time of 6:47.29 in the A Final of the 2023 World Rowing Cup II in Varese, Italy.[15]
Following a postponement of the Tokyo Games and all international racing in 2020, Kennedy and the same crew of 2019 won the 2021 European Championships in Varese, Italy.[16]
Erin returned to international competition in May 2022, winning the Rowing World Cup I in Belgrade, Serbia with a new crew of Oliver Stanhope, Edward Fuller, Giedrė Rakauskaitė and Francesca Allen.[18] This gold medal was the final FISA medal which Kennedy not previously won. Later, she revealed she had flown to compete the day after being diagnosed with Breast Cancer, winning a gold just four days later.[19]
Erin continued with the same crew to compete at the 2022 European Championships in Munich, Germany and won her second European title whilst on chemotherapy.[20] She revealed to the BBC that she would be taking a break from the sport to focus on her health.[21][22]
In 2023, Erin returned to international competition exactly a year to the day after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.[23] With a new crew of Edward Fuller, Morgan Fice-Noyes, Giedrė Rakauskaitė and Francesca Allen she won the 2023 European Championships in Bled, Slovenia.[24][25] With the same crew, a new World Best Time was set of 6:47.29 in the A Final of the 2023 World Rowing Cup II in Varese, Italy.[26]
The crew went on to win the 2023 World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia and qualify the boat for the 2024 Paris Games.[27] The crew helped Great Britain top the Medal Table and make it 13 years unbeaten.
