Olympic Sport: Rowing
Home Town: Herne Bay
Club: Herne Bay Amateur Rowing Club
Career Highlights:
2011: Silver in the World Rowing Championships, Mens Eights, Slovenia
2011: Silver in the World Cup, Mens Eights
2011: 6th in the GB Rowing Team Senior Trials, Mens Coxless Pairs
2010: Silver in the World Rowing Championships, Mens Eights, New Zealand
Have you always been sporty?
I was actually a really chubby kid but always tried to stay active. I come from a big swimming family so I started that from a very young age. My dad told me I was swimming before I was walking. I think it’s in my blood. I wasn’t too interested at first but I started winning when I was about 14 and grew to love the sport and competitions. Herne Bay High School were really helpful and gave me money to get to national championships and competitions. Even now they still let me use their gym for free. They’ve been a real support.
What are your interests outside of sport?
Reading, going to the movies and coaching swimming.
What would you have done if you were not a rower?
Five years ago I was swimming for Britain at the European Championships and by the time I was 16 I was the third fastest Briton over 1,500m and ranked 72nd in the world. My long term ambition is to join the police force.
How did you get into rowing?
As a talented swimmer, I got the chance to go to Australia, when a public school said they’d pay for me to go over there and compete in a swimming championship against other schools. They wanted to win so badly that they recruited six of us from England. I dropped out of school before my GCSEs and went over there and boarded. My swimming coach was one of the best in the world and we won the championships. However, he was really tough and I started to lose my enthusiasm for swimming. The school was really strong on Rowing and made me want to try it when I got back to the UK.
So what did you do?
I came back to England and started a degree in politics, international relations and law at the University of Kent. I was working part-time in a sports shop when my friend invited me along to Herne Bay Rowing Club. I had a go on a rowing machine and then did the 2,000 metres faster than anyone had ever done on their first go. The people there saw I had promise and said I should give rowing a go. I rang the Amateur Rowing Association and they enrolled me in their World Class Start system. I went up to a camp once a month in Nottingham and trained one day a week in Maidenhead. But it was Herne Bay Rowing Club who taught me how to row.
So were you any good?
Nine months after I started I won a singles race and gained qualification to the prestigious Henley championships. But I wasn’t allowed to compete because I was a novice. I basically hadn’t been expected to qualify. In 2007 I had trials with Great Britain under-23 squad for the World Championships but just missed out by half-a-second.
Were you disappointed?
I was at first but my coaches sat me down and said if I wanted to take rowing seriously I needed to become a full-time athlete. It wasn’t really a decision for me. I dropped out of university and put everything into rowing. A year later I was the best under-23 rower in the country and had won a bronze medal at the under-23 World Championships in the Czech Republic. I went to the Beijing Olympic trials with the seniors and came 11th with my rowing partner. I was then asked to train with the senior squad by the old coach of Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent. As an under-23 it was a big deal. Since then I’ve become part of the senior team and been Rowing in the Mens 8. Although I’d love to be part of the Mens 4 just because there’s something about being in the boat that won Steve Redgrave 5 Gold Olympic Medals.
What are your hopes for next year?
Everything is about London 2012 and getting at the Olympic Games
Want to get into Rowing?
For further information about rowing please visit www.hbarc.org.uk
