Olympic athlete reduces viewers to tears after revealing poignant note dad gave her just before he died
Jess Hardiman
Featured Image Credit: BBC
An Olympic rower has reduced us ALL to tears after sharing some particularly poignant context to her gold medal win.
Lola Anderson, 26, is part of the victorious women’s rowing team at this year’s games in Paris, having glided to the gold medal after beating the Netherlands by just 0.15 seconds in the quadruple sculls.
As a teenager, she had been inspired by the likes of Helen Glover and Heather Stanning to get into the sport, having seen them become gold medalists at the London 2012 Olympics.
At the time, Anderson had scribbled a note to herself in her diary, outlining how it was her ‘biggest dream’ to follow in their footsteps, only to later tear it out and throw it away in embarrassment.
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Little did she know, her dad Don had retrieved the note from the bin and placed it in a safety deposit box, handing it back to her seven years later after becoming ill.
"My name is Lola Anderson and I think it would be my biggest dream in life to go to the Olympics in rowing and if possible win a gold for GB,” the note said.
Her dad sadly died of cancer just two months later.
Choking back tears after her win alongside teammates Georgina Brayshaw, Lauren Henry and Hannah Scott, Anderson said her dad would be ‘very proud’ of her if he was still with us.
“I threw that away because I didn’t believe,” she said emotionally.
“I mean I was 13 at the time, so why would you believe that?
“My dad saw it before I did. He saw the potential I had, but my potential wouldn’t have been unlocked without the girls that crossed the line with me today.
“I’m grateful for everyone who has got me here and I would be very proud if he was here.”
Speaking to the BBC, Anderson teared up as she admitted the glory felt ‘overwhelming’ after so many years of preparation.
“How long ago did you write, on a piece of paper, you wanted this moment to come?” she was then asked.
Sobbing, she replied: “13 years ago. I’d forgotten about it, obviously, but a couple of years ago my dad reminded me about it.
“I know that he’d be so, so proud. I’m thinking a lot about him right now, and it’s really lovely.”
Months before he died of cancer, Don Anderson gave his daughter, Lola, a note.
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 31, 2024
It was a diary entry Lola had thrown away as a child which said her dream was to win Olympic rowing gold. Her dad had kept it.
She's got her gold medal ❤️#BBCOlympics #Olympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/z0vKX2WvPH
Anderson said the diary entry is the most valuable thing in her life – although that gold medal may, of course, now rival it.
“I always get a bit nervous taking it anywhere with me,” she said. “What happens if a suitcase gets lost, or something like that?
“It’s a piece of paper but it’s the most valuable thing I have, maybe joint with this now. It’s safe in a tin with all my dad’s old medals.”
Commenting on the footage, one person tweeted: "I’m not crying, you are! Amazing!"
Someone else said: "Just cried at work and I don't care one bit. I love the Olympics."
A third wrote: "Bless her. What a lovely thing for her father to do and well done to her for achieving her dream. Incredible."