Josh Kershaw

Club CUBC Women

Year of Birth 2000

Hometown Ross on Wye

Nationality British

College St Johns

Undergrad/Graduate Undergraduate

Year 2nd

What are you studying? Veterinary Medicine

What is the most interesting part of your course? Do you have any professional or academic plans after? I love the application of science to the real world. At the moment I’m still very early in my course but I would like to enter specialist veterinary practice or research after graduation.

Future ambitions? To win the Boat Race.

How do you balance rowing and academic life? A lot of hard work, discipline and sacrifice. My degree has high contact hours so heading back from training to start work is hard but necessary to keep on top of things. I’ve found you have to sacrifice a normal university experience to keep on top of the work and the training. But though that’s difficult it can pay dividends come race day.

When did you start rowing, and why? In 2013. I thought it’d be a cool thing to try at school. Watching the 2014 Men’s Boat Race with an old boy of my school as cox really inspired me.

What was your first club? Monmouth School Rowing Club.

What is your favourite part of rowing for Cambridge? I like the high-performance atmosphere in the squad with everyone chasing to be the best they can be. To be at this level and a part of this team puts you under a lot of pressure but is also a huge privilege. Having this environment to train and grow in is very exciting to me.

What’s your rowing history, and what has been your biggest achievement so far? I coxed and rowed for MSRC for five years before joining CUBC in 2019. I completed the 2020 season with the CUR, racing for the lightweight men at trial eights, making selection for the open weight women’s 3rd eight for WEHORR and finishing the season with a disappointing loss to Oxford in the lightweight women’s spare coxed four race on the Tideway. Rowing for Cambridge has been my most successful and exciting time in the sport and I’m excited to join the new CUBC for the 2021 races.

Have you raced in the Boat Race before? If yes, when? No, only the reserve lightweight race 2020.

Your favourite race so far? The Fours Head 2019. I raced with the lightweight men’s C crew having only joined the squad the week before to finish as the fastest lightweight men’s crew and one of the fastest CUR crews of the day. It was a good start to my racing in Cambridge blue.

Do you have any race day habits or superstitions? I try to stay quite relaxed, go over the plan, chat to the crew and coach and listen to a bit of music. I’m not superstitious but I do like to feel prepared.

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

What gets you through a tough session? Do you have a mantra, rituals? I try to bring some energy and competition to it.

Any hobbies, other interests outside rowing? I like to golf and cycle in the holidays but as rowing is so full time the rest of my life tends to just be work for the degree.

How do you motivate yourself and your teammates, especially with Covid restrictions? The Boat Race is a good light at the end of the tunnel. In the end I take it one day at a time, push through the sessions and try enjoy the little things. You can’t always be having a great time so leaning on each other in the tough winter months really helps me get through. It’s more difficult with Covid but remembering the mission and the team around you is a good start.