Brenda Lawson

Brenda Catherine Lawson (born 30 October 1967) is a New Zealand rower. She was twice world champion in women's double sculls with Philippa Baker, and they were both inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

Brenda Lawson

Personal information
Born	(1967-10-30) 30 October 1967 Nelson, New Zealand
Medal record Women's rowing Representing  New Zealand World Rowing Championships 1993 Račice W2x 1994 Indianapolis W2x 1995 Tampere W2x

Lawson was born in 1967 in Nelson;[1] her mother is Val Wilson. She received her education at Nayland College and lived in Nelson until age 17, when she left to progress her rowing career.[2]

Lawson rowed for clubs in Wairau, Hamilton, and Whanganui.[2]

Along with Philippa Baker she finished 4th in the women's double sculls at the 1992 Summer Olympics.[3] Lawson and Baker then went on to become double sculls world champions twice in a row, first in 1993 in Račice, Czech Republic,[4] and then in 1994 in Indianapolis, USA.[5] At the 1995 World Rowing Championships in Tampere, Finland, they came third.[6] At the 1996 Summer Olympics, Lawson and Baker came sixth in the double sculls.[1]

Lawson and Baker were named New Zealand team of the year at the 1994 Halberg Awards, and they also won the supreme award.[7] In 2012, Baker and Lawson were inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame, the first woman rowers to achieve this accolade.[8] The Sports Hall of Fame citation reads:

It was undoubtedly the dogged determination of Philippa Baker, and later Baker and Brenda Lawson, that set the benchmark, along with the coach they sought out in Wanganui, Richard Tonks, that cemented the arrival and force to be reckoned with—New Zealand women's rowing—as we see it today. They helped build the next significant generation of female rowers; a generation who have and are becoming household names.

— New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame[8]

Lawson and Baker competed again at the 2017 World Masters Games in Auckland, as part of the New Zealand women's eight.[9]

References

1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Brenda Lawson". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
2. Reich, Josh (10 February 2012). "Lawson inducted into hall of fame". The Nelson Mail. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
3. "(W2x) Women's Double Sculls - Final". International Rowing Federation. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
4. "(W2x) Women's Double Sculls - Final". International Rowing Federation. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
5. "(W2x) Women's Double Sculls - Final". International Rowing Federation. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
6. "(W2x) Women's Double Sculls - Final". International Rowing Federation. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
7. "1994". Halberg Awards. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
8. Dawson, Mark (10 February 2012). "Salute to rowing legend". Wanganui Chronicle. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
9. "Masters Games: Competitive fires still burn for world-class rowing crews". The New Zealand Herald. 27 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.

External links

• Brenda Lawson at FISA WorldRowing.com

Awards
Preceded by Danyon Loader	Lonsdale Cup of the New Zealand Olympic Committee 1993	Succeeded by Stephen Petterson
Preceded by Eisenhower Trophy Team	Halberg Awards – Supreme Award 1994 (with Philippa Baker)	Succeeded by Team New Zealand
	New Zealand's Team of the Year 1994