Amelia Standing

Club OUWBC

Year of Birth 1999

Hometown Helsby

Nationality British

College St Anne’s

Undergrad/Graduate Undergraduate

Year 3rd

What are you studying? Engineering Science

What is the most interesting part of your course? Do you have any professional or academic plans after? I’d love to work in renewable energy after I graduate, so anything related to that I find really interesting. As an engineer I’m always working out how things operate and I’m always taken aback by computers, they’re used everyday but are so complex.

How do you balance rowing and academic life? With difficulty a lot of the time. However rowing makes me much more efficient with my work as it tends to just fill the time I have.

When did you start rowing, and why? 2013 (when I was 13). I was excited to start after watching the 2012 Olympics. There’s a whole page in a scrapbook I made that summer dedicated to the British women’s pair of Glover and Stanning.

What was your first club? The King’s School Chester.

What is your favourite part of rowing for Oxford? Everyone is in the same boat as you (pun intended) trying to balance their academic and rowing commitments. It’s really inspiring to be surrounded by such motivated like-minded people.

What’s your rowing history, and what has been your biggest achievement so far? I rowed for five years at the Kings School Chester. In my penultimate year I represented GB at the Coup de la Jeunesse winning two golds and a silver. I’m now in my 3rd year at OUW after being selected for the Blue boat the last two years. In my first year I also raced a coxless 4 on the Friday of Henley and in my 2nd year won at The Fours Head. Racing in the Henley quarterfinals was special. But the biggest achievement for me was stroking the Blue boat as a fresher. I came into OUW expecting very little for myself then ended up in the Blue boat.

Your favourite race so far? Coupe 2017, the crew had had not much experience rowing together but it came together well but we ended up winning.

Do you have any race day habits or superstitions? Nothing besides needing to nervous wee!

Your sporting idol? Helen Glover.

If you could have any sportsperson in your crew, who would it be? The strong women I train besides every day.

What gets you through a tough session? Do you have a mantra, rituals? Music always helps. In my first ever 5k at school I actually sang along to the music playing.

How do you motivate yourself and your teammates, especially with Covid restrictions? It’s hard, but I find sessions over Zoom rewarding. We also made little lockdown survival packs for everyone in the squad.