3 mins
Julia Lindsay
Nationality
CAN
Height
177cm
School/high school/secondary school
Crofton House School
Club
OUWBC
Undergraduate/Graduate
Graduate
Previous university
University of British Columbia
Undergraduate course
BSc Cognitive Systems
Graduate course
DPhil Psychiatry
Oxford college
St Cross
Why are you studying your course?
To learn how we can scale treatments for insomnia.
What is the most interesting part of your course?
Getting results after months of designing and implementing an analysis approach.
Year you first started rowing
2011
First rowing club
Burnaby Lake Rowing Club
Why/how did you get into rowing?
I was copying my cousin Martin, who is now the President of OUBC.
Name of first rowing coach
Cinda Ewton
Who is your rowing idol?
Lauren Wilkinson
How do you balance rowing and academic life?
A lot of work done on the minibus to and from practice and being fortunate enough to have an academic supervisor who supports me rowing.
Who would be your dream team eight to row with from everyone in the history of rowing?
8 clones of Avicii with myself coxing. His little-known rowing career was unfortunately cut short due to inability to meet international WADA criteria.
What is your rowing history, and what has been your biggest achievement so far?
Learned to scull in school and then row in college, where I went on to win five Canadian university championship titles and helped the team to two championship banners.
Have you raced in the Boat Race before? If yes, when?
Yes, 2021.
Your favourite race so far?
The lightweight four at Head Of The Charles 2019 which was such a clean race with some of my favourite people in the world.
What do you feel is your greatest achievement through rowing, be it accolades or something more personal?
Rowing helped me build self-confidence as a teenager. Into adulthood, I’ve often relied on the incredible friendships and structured training, especially when life is throwing changes at me. So, I guess personal resilience is the greatest achievement I have earned from rowing.
What is the best place you have ever rowed?
Seattle, Washington when Mt Rainier is out is incredible.
Where would be your dream place to row?
Ourense, Spain where OUBC is having their training camp.
Have you ever been at school/university/on a team with anyone at ‘the other place’?
Absolutely not, please do not spread slander like that.
Obviously, there are long hours and hard work, what inspires you to keep rowing?
Telling myself it’s not long till I retire!
What has been your most embarrassing/funny rowing moment?
I embarrass myself every day trying to skip for height during our field warmups.
What is your favourite movie about sports? Why?
The CrossFit Games. I think all rowers should watch it, helps with ego deflation.
How does being an athlete make you a better person?
Sport, and rowing particularly, reinforces the direct link between work input and results output. It’s a good lesson to learn while you’re young, I think. Training as a team for as long as we do also teaches a lot about collaboration and the value of peer support.
What is your favourite sports quote?
Hard work will put you where good luck will find you.
How would you describe the sport to a non-rower?
Kayaking backwards if you also used your legs.
Why do you think someone outside of the sport can relate to your career as an athlete?
I think everyone can relate to the disruption caused by the pandemic. Everyone is sort of trying to get their life back on track (while maintaining the good parts of spending a year at home). It’s the same for athletes, we’re pouring ourselves into this year to make up for lost time.
What are your strengths, as a person and as an athlete?
Resilience, dedication, independence, optimism and enjoying working hard.
What do your friends think of your athletic success? How do you handle missing out on activities with friends because of your athletic schedule?
To be honest most of my friends are athletes too so I think they’re in the same boat (sometimes literally).
Do you think you can win the Boat Race? Why?
Absolutely. We were so close last year and some key players from that boat have returned. We’re joined by some of the most determined athletes I’ve ever met, and I have no doubt in our ability.
Any hobbies, other interests outside rowing?
Fishkeeping, EDM, knitting.