Lola Anderson believes that Team GB’s rowers must not be afraid of having tough conversations as they aim to sustain their incredible Olympic turnaround.

A gold medallist in the women’s quad, Anderson has become the new face of her sport. 

She moved the nation with the story of her late father Don rescuing a note she threw away as a teenager, in which she outlined her dreams to compete at the Olympics.

Anderson has encapsulated the feel-good factor around a squad that leapt from 14th in their medal table in Tokyo to second in Paris in three short years.

“I wasn’t part of the squad during Tokyo but from my experience of the team currently, I can say that there’s a huge emphasis on team culture and atmosphere,” said Anderson.

“Andrew (Randell, head coach) spends a lot of time addressing the day-to-day attitudes of us as athletes. He wants us to turn up in the building and be enthusiastic.

“Every session, every conversation, you’re aware your part of a team and you’re trying to build something that is stronger than the sum of its parts. I think that helps us be united and stay driven, because we have quite a clear vision.”

After the disappointment of Tokyo, a group of ‘Project Paris’ athletes who enjoyed remarkable success at junior level were primed and ready to step into the senior ranks. 

A ‘Project LA’ group quietly got its first international outing in June at a World Cup event in Poznan and they will hope to have a similar impact. Rowing events in LA will be reduced from the usual 2 kilometres to 1,500 metres in order to be staged at Long Beach.

With GB having won a medal in eight of the ten boat classes at Vaires-sur-Marne, Anderson is clear on what is required to ensure they are similarly competitive in 2028.

“I think the key is acknowledging that our culture doesn’t just come passively,” she said.

“You do have to work at it and being a good team doesn’t just take care of itself. Sometimes there are easier days and some days there are slightly harder conversations that we need to have with each other. 

“As long as we respect each other enough to know that we all believe in each other and we all want the same thing, I think the journey can be pretty simple.”

Anderson, Georgie Brayshaw, Hannah Scott and Lauren Henry scripted one of the most dramatic finishes of the entire Games by winning gold by a third of a canvas from the Netherlands.

The quartet now hold Olympic, world and European titles and Anderson hopes this is just the beginning of the crew’s journey.

“I hope that we stay together,” said Anderson, who was speaking at a ChangeMaker event, which is a partnership between The National Lottery’s operator, Allwyn, Team GB, ParalympicsGB and UK Sport to support athletes who want to help social impact projects they are passionate about. Across the next few weeks over 100 athletes from Team GB, ParalympicsGB and from The National Lottery funded world class performance programme are going out into their communities to get involved with good cause projects.

“I know that after each Olympics, every athlete in the squad needs to take some time to decide whether or not they think they have another cycle in them.

“Mentally and physiologically, it just takes a lot out of you. Most of us are new in the team and I think everybody thinks they have more to give, it’s just where we’re allowed to perform.”

For now, the celebrations continue unabated. 

The last 10 days have been a whirlwind for Anderson and company, so much so that they only got a chance to eat when they ordered a McDonald's at 2am on the morning after their race. The squad then took over an Irish bar in Paris the following night to toast their triumphs.

It is understandable that Anderson has lost count of the number of media interviews she has done and there is no sign of them stopping, whisked off the Eurostar and onto the BBC Breakfast sofa.

"I mean it in a good way," said Anderson.

"We're not used to having this much support and this many people interest in what we're doing.

"We've got so many eyes on us and it's a really surreal moment when you realise, 'gosh, people care about this.' You know your friends and family care, but when you realise the country is actually watching, that is massive."

The ChangeMaker initiative is a partnership between The National Lottery’s operator, Allwyn, Team GB, ParalympicsGB and UK Sport to support Great Britain’s athletes to make a positive difference to social impact projects they are passionate about.