Bishop was born in 1971 in Leigh-on-Sea. She went to Westcliff High School for Girls, before coming to Pembroke in 1989, where she received a BA in Modern Languages. She got her MA in International Politics from The University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and then a PhD in contemporary German literature from the University of Reading. Bishop was a competitive rower for Great Britain and won two World Championship medals in the pairs; silver in 1998 with Dot Blackie, and gold in 2003 with Katherine Grainger. She was World Indoor Rowing Champion in 1999, and in 2004 won a silver gold medal with Grainger in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Since retiring from rowing, she has worked with the foreign office and now owns a consultancy business for leadership and team performance.