East German rower Martina Schröter won the bronze medal at the 1980 Moskva Olympics in the single sculls. She was the only East German female rower from the 1980 team to return to Olympic competition at Seoul in 1988, when she won the gold medal in the double sculls with Birgit Peter. Due to the Soviet-led boycott of the 1984 Los Angeles Games, she could not participate.
In 1983 and 1985 Schröter won the double sculls world title with Jutta Ploch and non-Olympian Sibylle Schwabe, respectively. She also added two silver medals in the single sculls (1979 and 1987) and the double sculls (1982). Schröter also won five East German national titles. She studied dental technology. Her son Paul also became a rower.