January 2026: Var Guriardottir Hansen

ROWER OF THE MONTH – 2025 was an incredible year for indoor rowing specialist Var Guriardottir Hansen. After winning the 2025 World Rowing Virtual Series in the summer, Guriardottir went on to set world records over 100m and one minute, and finished second in the 2025 World Rowing Versa Challenge in Singapore. She is the Rower of the Month.

How did you get into rowing?

I started back in 2018 in Faroese boats. In 2019 or 2020 I did a school project: I was supposed to do some training programme. I didn’t want to run, so I asked if I could do a 2k instead and I got hooked after that.

I moved to Denmark in 2022 and started normal sculling. I did that for two years and then I moved back to the Faroe Islands. We don’t have regular sculling – we’re trying to start coastal, it’s getting bigger here.

Tell us about your shift from racing on the water for Denmark to focusing on indoor rowing for the Faroe Islands?

I always loved indoor, but I was kind of tired of it. I actually stopped rowing and I was for sure not going to row again. But then right before British Indoor Rowing Championships 2024 I started rowing again, for the erg power series, and then I started again. I’ve been going for a full year now, just full-on sprinting.

How do you train to be a sprint specialist on the erg?

It’s always been my better side in rowing, when it’s shorter. I like lifting heavy weights. It also comes from when I did gymnastics for 14 years. All that jumping and being so explosive helps.

I do powerlifting, that’s a big part of it, and I train a lot of starts, just the few first strokes. That’s a big difference to train that instead of always going longer sprints. The first three strokes count a lot when it comes to sprinting.

I do steady state and all that, but it’s steady state and completely easy, or it’s hard-core sprinting. I do 2ks but I’m not training specifically for a 2k.

The Faroe Islands push above their weight in a number of sports – what’s it like being an elite athlete from such a small country?

As a rower it’s always been a little more quiet compared to football or handball, because money always plays a part in it and there’s no money in rowing. But you get a lot of support when the country’s small because everybody knows or follows along. Everybody knows each other.

I got a lot of attention and media stuff, that’s really good, also to bring others to indoor rowing. That’s a good opportunity. All the hard work, it feels like people can see that it’s a good result.

Do you have any particular goals for new records you’d like to set on the erg?

I really want to take the 500m world record, that’s been my goal for some years. It’s 1:21.5. It needs some work, but I think I’ll just keep going and if the progression is like it’s been the last year, it’s going to work at some point.

What was it like competing in the Versa Challenge? Which challenges did you find toughest?

It was a lot of fun, and the atmosphere was really good. All the athletes had dinner together before and I really liked it, I didn’t know what to expect before. You get to know all the athletes and I really liked that.

The last three challenges were a bit longer, but I actually liked ‘Elimination’, although it was the longest. The one where we had to hit rate every time, ‘Echo’, the fourth one, I couldn’t focus. That was the toughest for me. I failed completely at that one.

You tried beach sprints earlier this year – is there any chance we’ll see you back on the water?

I’m planning to do more beach sprints, I’m trying to find some training camps outside the Faroe Islands, because we don’t have anybody who knows coastal here.

I really loved the competition in Lithuania in August even though the weather was awful. It was a lot of fun. I will go again, that’s for sure.

What’s on your training playlist?

Pre-race I listen to 2010 music. It gets me in a good mood. For lifting it’s more metal – Slayer and Metallica. For rowing I don’t think there’s anything specific.

Is there anyone who’s inspired you – in rowing or life?

My coach Loïc Schalbetter has inspired me a lot, he’s a good indoor sprinter. I started on his programme when I started rowing again a year ago. He always pushes me to do better: even if I do a session and it’s a good score, he says “it’s a good job” then five minutes later he goes “you can go faster than that”. He expects a lot from me, and I think that’s good, I can push my limits.

What’s the best piece of advice anyone’s ever given you?

My dad always says “where there’s a will there’s a way”. It’s always stuck. In the Faroe Islands we have very limited resources, and you have to make your own way if you want to do something.