Nicknamed Rach, Lovell was born on 20 March 1978 in Evesham, United Kingdom and spent her childhood in south west London. She is a former Brit. She attended primary school at Fladbury School in Worcestershire, United Kingdom before going to high school at Pershore High School in Worcestershire, United Kingdom. She then went to the University of Kingston from 1996 to 1999 where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Radiography. Lovell is married to canoe coach Geoff Lovell, and has two children. She has step-brothers who were world champions in canoe. She moved to Queensland in 2008, and became an Australian citizen in 2009. As of 2012, she lives in Sunshine Coast, Queensland suburb of Buderim.