Simon Dennis was born in the rowing capital of Great Britain, Henley, and was a member of the British eight that won a bronze medal at 1994 World Junior Championships. Whilst studying at Imperial College, London he was called into the national squad for the 1997 season and made his début as part of the Great Britain eight at that year’s championships. After another season with the eight he joined Steve Williams in a pair that placed fifth at the 1999 World Championship before rejoining the eight in time for the 2000 Olympic Games. The British crew led the Olympic final almost from start-to-finish and gave Dennis what was to be the only major medal of his entire senior career. He trained on for 2001 but while the crew was not the force they were twelve months earlier and placed only fifth at the World Championships. Although he originally merely planned to take a season away from the water in 2002 he did not return to rowing and now teaches biology.