Now 57, Rowe, who subsequently got involved with cycling coaching, still feels the effects of the injury in terms of her mobility.
Keen to accentuate the positive, she says: “I can do things in adapted form and I just thank my lucky stars I am here.”
While Sarah may have been lost to the sport, in a competitive sense at least, far too early, her two children are showing plenty of signs that they, like their mum, could be heading to the top.
Her son, Elliot, 19, has been signed by cycling giants Team Visma Lease a Bike, as part of their development team, and won a bronze medal in June’s British under-23 individual time trial.
Her daughter, Melanie, 16, recently finished first in the under-17s race in the prestigious Tour of Flanders event.
“I have to say my heart is in my mouth every time they go out on the roads, but that is part of life and they just have to get on and enjoy it and be careful and be safe as best they can,” Rowe says.
“It is lovely seeing what they are doing because I can relate to it. I just love to see them enjoying the journey – it is such a special thing what the bike can give you.”
Elliot and Melanie were not born when their mum was competing at Olympic level.
However, her knowledge and experience is clearly a huge help as they aim to make their own way in the sport, with Elliot suggesting: “My mum is really modest.
“She never bigs it up too much, but we get little stories here and there, which is pretty cool, because it is just a reminder that it did happen and it is something that you will always remember and something that me and my sister would both want to work towards in the future.”
Melanie adds: “I find it really helpful because she always knows exactly how I feel about everything because she has done it before.”
If both children continue to deliver on their early promise, perhaps their mum will find herself back, as a proud parent, at an Olympic Games some day in the future.