Anouschka Fenley

Club CUBC Women

Year of Birth 1994

Hometown Oxford

Nationality British

College Lucy Cavendish

Undergrad/Graduate Undergraduate

Year 3rd

What are you studying? Law

What is the most interesting part of your course? Do you have any professional or academic plans after? I have a strong interest in international law, labour law and human rights. For my dissertation I am researching the ways in which international law holds transnational corporations liable for human rights abuses, particularly in relation to the exploitation of women’s and children’s labour.

Future ambitions? I hope to pursue a professional career in law and to work in applying international standards to practical and commercial situations.

How do you balance rowing and academic life? I love being on the water for rowing, being able to spend a number of hours a day training is a nice way to balance the demanding course, and getting enough sleep definitely helps.

When did you start rowing, and why? I began rowing as a junior at Headington School in Oxford when I was 12 years old, and I had great coaches that really inspired and encouraged me. Rowing has taught me how to deal with many challenges both on and off the water. I like that rowing requires a lot of self-organisation and discipline, team work and persistence.

What was your first club? Headington School Oxford.

What is your favourite part of rowing for Cambridge? My teammates. They are remarkable women, incredibly inspiring and supportive. It is an honour to be able to continue to have this unique and amazing shared experience with them.

What’s your rowing history, and what has been your biggest achievement so far? I was a junior rower at Headington School Oxford. I competed for the junior GB team in 2010 and 2011 for the GB vs France matches. In 2013 I competed at Henley Royal Regatta in the final of the junior girls’ quadruple sculls event. I went to college in the USA with a scholarship from the University of Washington (Seattle) rowing program from 2013-2017. While in the USA, it was exciting to be in boats that won multiple PAC 12 conference championships. In my final year we won a historic national team sweep at the National Collegiate (NCAA) rowing championships in 2017. In 2019 I raced in the winning Blondie crew. In 2020, I was selected for CUWBC Blue Boat, but we did not race due to Covid.

Have you raced in the Boat Race before? If yes, when? I raced in the 2019 Blondie crew.

Your favourite race so far? It is difficult to choose one, but a race that is particularly memorable is racing with Blondie in 2019 and winning our race against Oxford. It was an amazing atmosphere that day with the crowds cheering on the bridge and we had so much fun as a crew.

Do you have any race day habits or superstitions? I like to listen to music, have a long warm up and chat with my teammates.

Your sporting idol? Bethany Hamilton.

If you could have any sportsperson in your crew, who would it be? Catriona Bourne.

What gets you through a tough session? Do you have a mantra, rituals? Focus on the positive things, learn from the situation, and move forward.

Any hobbies, other interests outside rowing? Hiking, travelling, swimming, kayaking.

How do you motivate yourself and your teammates, especially with Covid restrictions? Control the controllables. Challenging situations are a part of life, and unexpected obstacles happen in the Boat Race. The race is a great opportunity for our team and I am looking forward to what I hope will be a culmination of my time rowing at Cambridge.