Totally Oar-struck
As they prepare to turn the Tideway duck egg blue once again, Edition speaks to members of the Cambridge women’s rowing team ahead of the Gemini Boat Race 2024
Words by Phoebe Harper
Over the past 194 years, the Gemini Boat Race has become a defining fixture of British athletic history, with a prestigious legacy making it one of the oldest and most famous amateur sporting events in the world.
Today, it continues gathering the finest student athletes in a sport that champions the fierce spirit of rivalry, while also being the ultimate celebration of togetherness.
Although 2024 marks the 169th men’s race, it will be the 78th time a women’s team has participated since the inaugural Women’s Boat Race in 1927.
Indeed, it was only in 2015 that the women’s race moved to the Championship Course – a 6.8km long stretch of the Thames winding from Putney to Mortlake, where the Men’s Boat Race takes place every year.
“Having both races on the Tideway on the same day and with the same media coverage was a big step forward; I’m proud to be a part of that,” opens Lucy Havard, a member of the women’s 2024 squad. “We’ve come a long way in levelling the playing field in rowing for gender parity, but there’s still much more work to make it available to everyone,” echoes crewmate Freya Sutcliffe.
A SPORT FOR ALL
In terms of making the sport more accessible, Lucy decided to give it a go despite her shorter stature, dispelling the myth that you need to be six-foot tall to row. Meanwhile, Freya couldn’t resist the unique camaraderie it fosters among teammates.
“I’d love to say I was drawn to the idea of collecting blisters like badges of honour, freezing your hands off in the cold and greeting the sunrise before most people have snoozed their alarm clocks, but that might be a hard sell,” she laughs.
For Clare Hole, it was a desire to channel her energies into a new sport while studying at St Catharine’s College that led her to rowing, with less time to spare as an international dressage competitor.
It was also a chance to follow in her parents’ footsteps, both of whom competed in the Boat Race while at Cambridge. “There’s a wall in Ely (training ground of Cambridge University Boat Club) which has all the names of each crew for every Boat Race. It would be cool to see my name alongside theirs all these years later.”
That chance will come later this month.
On Saturday 30 March at 2.46pm, the Women’s Boat Race will get underway from Putney. With the countdown well and truly on, rigorous preparation is in full swing with 12 training sessions a week that can be a mission to manage alongside studying. As a postgraduate, Lucy balances her training with work at Addenbrooke’s Hospital as a renal registrar.
While Freya describes juggling training, a placement as a clinical medic, coursework and studying as a constant game of Tetris. “If juggling busy schedules were an Olympic event, the Cambridge rowers would be up there at the top,” she quips.
IN IT TOGETHER
What quickly becomes apparent is the unyielding teamwork, support and bonding that tethers the athletes together: a critical ingredient in overcoming the inevitable challenges. “When rowing, you meet the most dedicated and driven people who all share one common goal,” Clare observes. “It gives you so much more than simply fitness, and I have never looked back since picking up an oar.”
So far, sessions are progressing well as the team are put to the test in fixtures leading up to the race; the overarching attitude is one of excitement and a healthy dose of cautious confidence.
Facing perennial rivals Oxford once again, Cambridge refuses to become complacent despite last year’s clean sweep of wins across all crews and races. “We think our programme has been a winning recipe, but we respect our opponents and are by no means resting on our laurels,” adds Freya.
While preparation is promising, the cancellation of The Fours Head earlier this year due to unsafe river conditions means the crews are dealing with more unknowns than ever before, since the event offers a chance to race on the Championship Course. “It’s like going into a boxing ring blindfolded,” she continues.
Nevertheless, optimism prevails. “We’re well-supported, both by excellent coaches on the water and in the gym, and by top-class facilities in Ely,” adds Clare.
With a crew that’s a strong mixture of returners and new recruits – plus a camaraderie that’s second to none – the Cambridge women are keen to get out on the water. As Clare says: “There is nothing like the rush of racing down the Boat Race course with all the members of the crew pushing themselves to the limit.”
