WYE rower Sally Pettipher has pulled off a ‘master-stroke’ by being crowned British Rowing’s West Midlands Volunteer of the Year.

It is a richly deserved honour for the Ross Rowing Club member, who as well as her involvement on the river, has also headed up international rugby initiatives and runs a professional club as chief executive.

Sally’s Wye journey began in 2011, when she joined the club as a supportive parent to son Will, going on to win national championship masters medals.

Despite needing surgery for cancer in 2019, she bounced back and returned to the water, this time as a cox, where she discovered a new perspective and a renewed sense of leadership.

Coaching soon became her next passion, particularly with adult beginners and adaptive rowers, going on to found and lead Ross Rowing Club’s MARS (Mixed Ability Rowing) section with Jackie Bayham, which recently returned from the 18th Paralympic, Special Olympic and International MAR Regatta in Italy weighed down with medals, and culminating in her British Rowing award.

But the rowing achievements only scratch the surface, as she has also founded three national and international charities, raising millions of pounds to improve lives through sport, education and health.

Her work in rugby has been transformative, launching Love of the Game, a charity tackling the pressing issue of concussions in the sport, ensuring that grassroots players are better protected.

Before that, as Programme Director for the Rugby Football Union’s (RFU) charity, she spearheaded the All Schools Plan, a key initiative of the RFU’s 2015 World Cup legacy.

Later, as CEO of the Atlas Foundation, Sally leveraged rugby to create educational and social opportunities for underprivileged children around the globe.

Across five continents from Ross-on-Wye to West Bengal, she has championed projects that combine sport and education to change lives.

This year, she embarked on a new challenge as Chief Executive of the Cornish Pirates, the English Championship rugby club owned by Sir Richard Evans, who she works for as Chief of Staff, a dual role that allows her to combine her strategic vision with her passion for sport.

Sally’s belief in the inclusive power of rowing took shape in 2019 with the founding of British Rowing’s Charitable Foundation, Love Rowing, which aims to break down barriers and bring the joys of the sport to people who might otherwise be excluded.

“The goal is simple,” she explains. “Rowing should be for everyone – no matter their background, ability or circumstances.”

This vision found a local champion in Ross Rowing Club’s “MARS Stars” launched in 2023, which provides opportunities for rowers with physical, mental, and learning disabilities.

A club spokesperson said: "At her core, Sally is a champion for people. Her belief that sport can be a force for good drives everything she does, from coaching beginners at Ross Rowing Club to shaping national policies.

"She isn’t just creating opportunities – she’s creating lasting change.

“Ross Rowing Club is incredibly proud to count Sally Pettipher as one of our own.

"Her achievements, whether on the water, in the boardroom, or halfway across the world, remind us of the extraordinary things that happen when passion meets purpose.

"Congratulations, Sally, on your well-deserved recognition at the British Rowing Awards – and thank you for everything you continue to do."