Miriam Batten-Luke

Miriam Batten-Luke has set many firsts in rowing. A silver medal in the Quad Sculls in the 2000 Sydney Olympics was the first time a British women’s crew medalled at the Games.

She has raced against her sister Guin many times in Britain, but finally they joined forces and with two Scottish rowers made history. The race was edge-of-the-seat stuff as a photo finish separated second and third by 12/1000 of a second.

Miriam Batten represented Great Britain at three Olympic Games – Barcelona in 1992, Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000. She rowed internationally for 11 years and has the full set of World Championship medals, a Bronze in 1991, Silver in 1997 and Gold in 1998.

On retiring from international competition after the 2000 Games in Sydney, she has worked at the coal face at two Olympic Games. At the London 2012 Games, Miriam planned, organised, recruited and trained over 200 Gamesmakers to deliver an outstanding village for the rowers and canoe sprinters based at Eton Dorney.  She also ran a performance focused ‘Team GB Athletes Lodge’ at the Athens Games in 2004.  As Athlete Services Manager for the British Olympic Association she helped to prepare athletes for the unique challenges of the Olympic Games. She now works as a consultant in the high performance environment of sport and business.

Miriam says…

“Winning an Olympic medal has taken me years of perseverance. No successful athlete has an easy ride. There are many obstacles and set backs that have to be overcome. The year prior to Sydney was the hardest of my life physically, mentally and emotionally. As a group of individuals, who had competed against each other for months to gain selection for the boat, we had to overcome our differences to focus on one goal, winning British Women’s first Olympic Rowing Medal.”

Motivational Speaking:

Miriam Batten-Luke has spent over 10 years working with high performers in sport, business and education to assist and develop people and organisations to realise their true talent and achieve their full potential.

Her outstanding presentation and communication skills, her creativity and her ability to work well in high performance teams translate well into the workplace of training and development for corporate and educational clients. She has strong experience in developing and delivering meaningful and effective workshops and keynote speeches that have lasting impact.

Miriam maintains her involvement in community activities, particularly in sports. She has worked with the British Olympic Association to prepare athletes for the unique challenges of an Olympic Games, mentoring and engaging talented young athletes. With the Youth Sport Trust she authors booklets and workshops to assist young talented performers to achieve their aspirations and to encourage a generation of young people to enjoy sport inspired by the 2012 Olympic Games.