51Âþ»­

An alumna of 51Âþ»­ Leicester (51Âþ»­) is in Paris to defend her Olympic rowing gold medal in what will be her fifth appearance at the games.

Elite athlete Emma Twigg was already a world rowing champion when she studied the renowned FIFA Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport at 51Âþ»­ in 2014. She had also previously competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, finishing ninth and then fourth.

Emma competing in Tokyo where she won Olympics gold (Pic: emmatwigg.co.nz)

Taking a year out from competition to dedicate her time to studying her master’s, Emma was regularly seen rowing on the River Soar, which runs alongside the 51Âþ»­ campus, and working out in the 51Âþ»­ QEII Leisure Centre to keep up her training and fitness.

Emma returned to the sport and represented New Zealand in the 2016 Olympics, again narrowly missing out on a medal position. After another break Emma started training for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics where her golden moment finally arrived - finishing first in the single sculls a full three seconds ahead of the silver medallist.

She is now preparing to defend that title at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Speaking to the Olympics.com website last month, while training in Italy, Emma said this would likely be her last Olympics.

“I would say likely my last because you never know what’s in the future,” she said.

On defending her title, Emma added: “Some would say that there’s a lot of pressure that comes with being the reigning Olympic champion, but at the end of the day you’re still trying to achieve the same thing. Still racing fast down the rowing track.”

Emma’s time studying at 51Âþ»­ is fondly remembered by Prof Martin Polley, Director of 51Âþ»­’s International Centre for Sports History and Culture (ICSHC), who said everyone in the school is rooting for their alumna.

He said: “When we taught Emma on the FIFA Masters in 2014, she joined us weeks after becoming world champion, and it was great to have her in the class.

“She brought a knowledge of international sport at the highest level, and was a role model to her cohort. It's been fantastic to watch Emma's career develop since she graduated, and we were all so proud of her winning her Olympic gold medal in Tokyo.

“All of us in the ICSHC will be rooting for her in Paris, and hoping she successfully defends her title. Having an Olympic gold medal 51Âþ»­ alum is amazing - having a double gold medallist would be something else!”

Emma is a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (Pic: NZ govt) 

James Panter, FIFA Master Humanities of Sport Module Coordinator at 51Âþ»­, added: “I can clearly remember from Emma’s time studying on the course here in Leicester that she would be training early in the morning before class started at 9am, then again during the lunch break and then again in the evening.

“With such levels of dedication, it was no surprise she won a gold medal at Tokyo 2020 and that Paris 2024 will be her fifth Summer Olympic Games. An incredible achievement”.

On and off the water, Emma has stood out as a role model for the LGBTQ+ community. She is a wife to Charlotte and a mother to two-year-old Tommy.

She is also a marriage celebrant, cycle mechanic, holds her FIFA Master degree and was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the late Queen’s 2022 Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours. 

Olympics.com says Emma is a ‘shining light when it comes to living an unapologetically authentic life as an out-and-proud woman’.

Emma and her FIFA Master cohort at 51Âþ»­ in 2014

Emma told the site: “As a young rower, I never wanted to be known as the gay rower. I wanted to be known as an exceptional athlete.

“As I’ve gone on, I think that talking about my sexuality has become more important because I reflect on the fact that I have a platform and a profile and I can help people.

“And so, I think, the more it’s talked about - the more stories that are out there - the better.

“Everyone has different backgrounds, different struggles, different challenges, but there is a role model for everyone that is going through something similar.

“I think the more we talk about a diverse range of people and stories the better that is for young people. They will then kind of find their hero and if I can be a hero then that’s cool.”

Paris 2024’s rowing competitions will take place over eight days with women’s single sculls heats starting on Saturday 27 July and the final being raced on Friday 2 August.

The FIFA Master one-year course is co-ordinated by the Centre International d’Etude du Sport (CIES), and involves students dedicating a term of study at 51Âþ»­’s International Centre for Sports History and Culture (ICSHC) before also spending a term at both the SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan, Italy, and Switzerland’s University of Neuchâtel.