Francesca Allen

Francesca Elisabeth Allen (born 26 May 2002) is a British adaptive rower who competes in international rowing competitions. She is a three-time World champion and three-time European champion in the mixed coxed four. She was on Great Britain's gold medal-winning team at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.

Early life and education Allen is from Wallingford, Oxfordshire and was born with Erb’s Palsy. She began rowing at age 12, on the river at Henley-On-Thames on a boat called ‘Tinkerbelle’. She attended Pangbourne College and, later, Oxford Brookes University, where she was studying for a BSc in physiotherapy.

Career Allen rowed for Pangbourne College, under coach, Richard Follett, She then rowed for the Oxford Brookes University Boat Club.

In 2022, shortly after beginning university, Allen joined Great Britain's PR3 mixed coxed four. At the 2022 World Rowing Championships, Allen won gold in the PR3 mixed coxed four and, with Giedre Rakauskaite, PR3 W2-. This made her the first woman to win two world championship titles in the same regatta. The team won gold again at the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade.

With Kennedy (cox), Rakauskaite, Fuller, and Josh O’Brien, Allen won gold in PR3 mixed coxed four at the 2024 European Championships. At the 2024 Summer Paralympics, the team rowed a new world best time of 6:43.68 and won gold in PR3 mixed coxed four.