1 mins
Sean Bowden
It is good to be back racing on the Tideway. The last couple of years have been tough. There has been a lot of disappointment from those who did not get to show their best, especially those in the 2020 program who missed their chance to race entirely. Returning the Boat Race to London makes it feel like the real event.
At Oxford this year we have a strong and experienced group of athletes. As a coach that presents a good challenge and requires some adaptation from the norm.
It has been enjoyable. It is not the same process as teaching less experienced rowers to row well. It took time for some of the incoming Olympians to find their place in the program and to adapt to life as student-athletes preparing for the Boat Race.
We fostered a competitive environment and those who were already at OUBC put up a strong resistance to the Olympic newcomers. Everyone who earnt a spot in the Blue Boat have been made to work hard for it. As well as the usual challenges of academic schedules, illness and injury we had a run of bad weather and some cases of Covid. Despite these setbacks this team have pulled together well.
For many of the Blue Boat crew the Boat Race is something new, that brings a certain energy. There is a lot of good energy building within the crew as we close in on the race. The fixture series got off to a good start and the excitement is growing. We are looking forward to meeting Cambridge on the start line come April 3rd.