Henley Women’s Regatta (HWR) and sponsors Keltbray have harnessed the power of sport to inspire Keltbray’s female employees to build resilience and teamwork.
A group of female employees from the construction and engineering company joined HWR Ambassadors, Olympic medallists Esme Booth and Sam Redgrave, for a special event at the National Theatre on Thursday, 6 November. Esme and Sam – who together won silver in the women’s coxless four at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – led sessions focused on resilience, teamwork, and mental health.
Esme and Sam shared their journey to the podium in Paris, speaking candidly about the challenges they faced along the way, including injury, selection battles, and the importance of coming together as a crew.
In interactive sessions, the Keltbray team had the opportunity to explore these challenges with the Ambassadors, considering how to apply the lessons learned to their own lives, careers, and aspirations. While rowing and construction may seem worlds apart, there are striking similarities and valuable opportunities to learn from one another’s experiences.
The event formed part of the 12-month sponsorship agreement signed between HWR and Keltbray in May 2025. The partnership extends beyond the three days of the regatta in June and aims to foster a relationship that champions women in both sport and construction.
HWR chairman Naomi Ashcroft said: “We were thrilled to be part of this exciting event and be given the chance to meet the Keltbray team and learn about their experiences. We hope Esme and Sam’s stories will be as inspiring to the construction world as they are to the rowing community.”
