Kerri Gowler is a part of the Women’s Pair & Women’s Eight who claimed Gold and Silver at the 2020 Olympic Games held in Tokyo.
Kerri Gowler began rowing in 2009 for Nga Tawa Diocesan School and Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club. She was first selected into the New Zealand team in the 2013 elite women’s eight. But it was in 2014 that Kerri burst onto the international scene along with Grace Prendergast in the U23 women’s pair. The duo formed a fast combination and went on to win gold at the World Rowing U23 Championships in a new U23 World Championship best time (later beaten in 2019). They were then selected to be part of the women’s four at the elite World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, winning gold in a new worlds best time just weeks after their U23 campaign
Kerri and Grace have been inseparable since their 2014 selection. They qualified two boats for the 2016 Olympic Games, rowing in both the eight and the pair at the 2015 World Rowing Championships and picking up a pair of silver medals in the process. At Rio 4th place in the women’s eight left Kerri hungry for medals and in 2017 she and Grace went undefeated through the season, set a new world-best time and became world champions in Sarasota.
Changes came in 2019 for Kerri where she was selected into both the women’s pair and the women’s eight for the international season. Kerri was in scintillating form at the World Rowing Championships in 2019 in both her crews winning gold in both the women’s pair and the eight. The win in the women's eight was the first time that New Zealand had won this event in the history of the World Rowing Championships regatta.
Kerri claimed an Olympic Gold medal at the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo in the Women’s pair with Grace Prendergast. In Tokyo the duo was also a part of the Women’s eight who also won an Olympic Silver medal.
Kerri is from Whanganui and has completed a Bachelor of Science majoring in psychology.
As a speaker, Kerri can over topics including sacrifice, high performance, overcoming adversity, resilience, mindset, communication, conviction and the importance of having absolute faith in your team.
