Thames Scullers' Junior Captain Insights

I joined Thames Scullers in 2021 through the “Learn to Row” programme, which is held annually in June. Rowing was like nothing I had tried before, and I began with no expectations of what lay ahead.

The following five years at the club have proved tremendously enjoyable, providing me with experiences that I will never forget.

The club benefits from the expertise of Ric Colborne, a highly knowledgeable and experienced coach, who has won multiple Henley Royal Regatta titles and was a member of the Great Britain lightweight rowing team. I hope to give you, the reader, an insight into rowing at Thames Scullers, and more generally what rowing is like for an athlete.

Staying motivated is vital for a successful rowing season. When you’re turning your boat at the end of the stretch of river, preparing to go for your third two-kilometre piece, with the icy winds are knifing your exposed hands, the warm summer regatta season feels so distant. But when the coach's voice crackles over the megaphone telling you to sit ready, you can do nothing but accept the distance and commit.

Competing in the single scull, as I have done for the last 2 seasons, is a particularly unique challenge within the sport. The single is often said to be the most technically difficult boat to row; it can also be the most physically tiring as the boat slows, more than larger boats, in between strokes.

However, the foremost challenge is not something physical, but a mental battle.

An eight, in rowing, is like an engine - each rower being the pistons firing the legs down each stroke. The coxswain is an indispensable member of the crew. A cox can make or break a crew, with a good one being able to lift their crew to force their bodies to work harder than they may have thought possible.

In a single scull, the only voice is within the rower themselves. The level of discomfort that a rower experiences during a race, whether it’s over two kilometres or seven, is complex and hard to put words on. It is not uncommon to hear stories of rowers losing vision towards the end of a race or being physically sick. One good example is of the stroke man of the Cambridge Blue Boat, Matt Edge, in the 2024 Boat Race. With still a few minutes left to go in the race, Edge became nearly incapacitated due to his extreme effort and was barely able to slide his seat backwards and forwards. He had to be lifted from the boat after the race and taken to the medical centre. Such efforts in rowing are not looked at with panic or anxiety but are respected within the rowing community. There are few sports

where collapsing over the finish line is a regular and accepted outcome of racing, at all levels of competition.

One of the most beneficial outcomes of rowing are the values which are instilled within the rower. Training takes more dedication and perseverance than many other amateur sporting pursuits, and being part of the sport from a young age will instil such qualities in an individual that will then last a lifetime.

The rowing community is relatively small but immensely welcoming and friendly. Pushing through tough ergo sessions, side by side, with your mates creates strong bonds and friendships that last, because you all know that you’re going through the same thing, together. The need to hold perfect technique for over an hour on the water or the rowing machine also teaches integrity as you are required to hold yourself to account. I believe that it is because of these values and bonds, that rowing is such an amazing sport, and one that I wish to continue into the future.