Rowe went to school at Hamble Community Sports College before attending Barton Peveril Sixth Form College. Her father, Trevor King, is a former biathlete who competed in two Winter Olympics. She has a younger sister. Initially a keen competitive swimmer for her school and triathlete, with Chapel Tri-Stars junior triathlon club, in 2005 she was tested by the British Cycling at her School and was then selected to join the Talent Team, which was at that time part of British Cycling’s Rider Route. Later that year she joined i-Team.cc cycling club where she trained and raced regularly at The Mountbatten Centre Velodrome in Portsmouth. In 2009, she came down with glandular fever whilst training to become an elite cyclist, leading to worries about her career being over. She recovered, however, and was later chosen to compete at world champion level in late 2011 and after setting world record with her pursuit team-mates she was chosen for Team GB.

She won the team pursuit at the Track Cycling World Cup in London in preparation for the Olympics in February 2012. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Rowe won a gold medal for the team pursuit alongside Laura Trott and Joanna Rowsell. The team also set a new world record time of 3:14:051 in this event.

Rowe was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to cycling.

She was given the Freedom of the Borough of Eastleigh in 2013.

In November 2014, Rowe was involved a serious crash after hitting a pothole while training on roads near Merthyr Tydfil. She suffered a snapped rib cage and a collapsed lung and spent 10 days in hospital.

In September 2016, Rowe signed for Cylance Pro Cycling for the 2017 season. After one year, in October 2017 she announced that she would join WaowDeals Pro Cycling for 2018.