She may have won the gold medal as part of the British team hunting team at the 2012 London Olympics, but Dani Rowe (Née King) wasn’t the first in her family to compete in the Olympics athlete. Her father, Trevor King, represented GB in the 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics, which combined cross-country skiing with shooting. Trevor introduced the sport in the late seventies, spending a decade in the Army on the International Tour. His best result was No. 15 in the 1985 World Cup round.
After retiring after the 1988 Calgary Olympics, Trevor has been a police officer for 23 years and has also worked in management of operations and construction companies. He and his wife Lynn have two daughters, Dani and Sarah. Dani, 34, competed on the road until 2018 when she finished her career with a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games road race. She is married to former Mainland racing driver Matt Rowe, the couple has two children. For this “Meet Maker”, we want to know that Trevor’s stamina is passed to Dani. Let’s meet them.
Dani Rowe
(Picture source: Getty Images)
- Age: 34
- Height: 5 feet 7 inches
- Growing up: Southampton
- Life: Cardiff
- Occupation: Commentators and experts
- The biggest sports achievement: First – Team pursuit, Olympics (2012)
What is your sports background?
I was naturally sporty and did dance hall line dance, gymnastics and trampoline. But I was very good at swimming and didn’t compete in breaststroke at the county level until I was 14. I always dreamed of being an Olympic champion, so I grabbed that when riding a bike gave me this opportunity.
What do you know about your father’s sports career?
He was so modest about it that he never made it. I think I’m very naive and don’t use his experience. His success in a sport was crazy.
Have you tried cross-country skiing?
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once [Swedish retired pro cyclist] Emma Johansson. Skiing in beautiful scenery is amazing, but I found going downhill on thin skis. I’m not sure I’ll do it again.
In what way did your father influence you?
Definitely a mentality. He would say he trained very hard and was always determined and determined. I’m the same – I’m not the most talented person, but I won’t leave any stones behind. Dad said he would know at every starting line that he might do everything possible. He has those “first two inches” and is the psychology of top athletes.
What psychological support does he provide to you?
He will take all the pressure from me and remove all the obstacles that may be blocked. He put a mattress in the back of the car so I could sleep on the road in Newport Raceway. If it rains, he’ll ride a bike with me and he’ll always be there to support me when I’m turbocharged in the garage, which gives me extra motivation. My dad has always been the first person I call anything. He can always help me see things positively.
Which sports gene did you inherit from your father?
As we all know, competition is one of the most difficult sports cardiovascular, and so is cycling. We are all endurance athletes. I have fast muscles, so I specialize in team pursuits and is also a good VO2 Max. He needed the same thing to do well in his career.
How is your hand-eye coordination?
Rubbish! I definitely didn’t get it from him! But then I never turned my hands to any exercise I needed – I always do personal and cardiovascular exercises.
How is your personality different?
They are not! We are similar in many ways. We are very motivated and organized. We also tend to help people, but don’t listen to our opinions. For example, if I was worried that I would talk to my dad, those processes would talk to me to calm me down, but he wouldn’t practice his preaching. Me the same.
Describe your father in three words.
Three words cannot make him fair. Special, caring, support.
Trevor King
(Picture source: Getty Images)
- Age: 64
- Height: 6 feet 1 inch
- Growing up: Southampton
- Life: Southampton
- Occupation: Retired athletes, soldiers and policemen
- The biggest sports achievement: 2x National Doubles and National XC Ski Championship, 1986 and 1987
Do you have sports parents?
No, neither my mom nor dad runs or swims. That’s why I always say this is the “first two inches” of success.
Did you exercise when you were a kid?
People say your cardiovascular potential depends a lot on your genes, but I didn’t work in endurance as a kid and remembered finishing No. 25 in the school cross country competition. I only noticed these skills when I started cross-country skiing, and I was faster than the British cross-country ski team that didn’t have to carry a gun to shoot. I’ve done the VO2 maximum test and my score is 77 [ml/kg/min].
Describe a typical training day
We used to do a lot of combo training: two to three hours in the morning and then shorter, more intense sessions in the afternoon. The race is short at 20km and 10km, but there are a lot of climbs, so it is crucial to be able to run up the hills and recover quickly to the descent. I also do gym work because carrying a weapon on the shoulder while using a double pole requires a strong upper body.
What are your biggest advantages?
Tag-up competition combines two aspects of sports: skiing is aerobic exercise, and target shooting is related to the brain – this is completely cognitive. I had to lower my heart rate from 170bpm to 80bpm to shoot five shots at a golf ball size target. I’m not the fastest skier, but shooting cheered me up.
What are you fighting against?
My thoughts turn to the results, rather than considering the process. I remember in a game, when I lined up for the final round, I took that extra pressure myself because I knew if I hit the target World Cup. But I missed it because I no longer think about the process. This is the psychological aspect of what I need to do in this sport. I would benefit from psychologists like Steve Peters.
Do you still ski?
I have never let go of snowboards since the 1988 Olympics except for an hour in Switzerland a few years ago. But I did go back to Canmo Ski Center in Canada in 2023 and stood in the exact same place I photographed. It brings back a lot of emotions.
How did you use your experience to help Dani?
I know the mistake I’m having in the exercise is in the moment, so I want to think I’ve helped Dany and tried to mess up her. I would tell her that she is not necessarily the cyclist Dani King, but the cyclist Dani King. It does not define you as a person. Otherwise, everything will become a challenge.
How did you motivate her?
It’s not a question of motivating her, it’s finding out what motivates her and removing these barriers. I put a mattress in the back of the car so she could get her head down.
How do your sports journeys look similar?
In a way, I think Dani may have imposter syndrome because she feels like she’s coming to the sport late, so other riders may be better than her. I’m the same. As athletes, we are all very determined and disciplined and undoubtedly, it helps both of us. I always tell her: If you fall six times, you stand up seven times.
What is it that you certainly haven’t passed Dani to Dani?
Hand-eye coordination ability. I think there are two reasons for this: one, she didn’t participate in a lot of racket sports, and the two people who grew up in the 1960s were playing ball outside. This is one thing I have, but she lacks it.
Describe Danny in three words.
Transcendence. like. care.
An infinite round
“Guess what your father said when he asked…”
(Picture source: Future)
What can Dany do except Trevor not do?
Danny: Sleep! He is awful! But he would say he wasn’t as spontaneous as I did. He plans everything.
Trevor: She can multitask, but I struggle. And she’s more suitable for change-I need to plan everything.
What can Trevor do, but what can Dani do?
D: Logical thinking. I’m not very good at it.
T: Lawn. Dani has no idea how lawn mowers work, let alone how to do it.
Can Dani be a double team?
D: He would say yes-he would say I could do anything.
T: She could have been a good skier because of her endurance and good balance. Can she be a Sagittarius? If she applies for herself, it is possible.
Can Trevor become a racer?
D: He won’t be confident, but I think he could have.
T: I’ve asked a few times, and I think I could have. Danny and I also have the same physical properties.
Who has the most outstanding career?
D: I think he has to say I…
T: There is no doubt that Dany beats me. I am a British champion and have two Olympic medals, but she has Olympic gold.
What does Trevor think are the tougher sports?
D: He will choose the competition. I agree, just because you have to shoot your heart rate right away.
T: Doubles. These are two kinds of movements, and both physical and mental are both physical and mental.
Who is more competitive?
D: Me. He would say the same thing.
T: Fixed and fixed, you can’t say anything in any way.
