Anastasia Posner

Nationality

GBR

Height

175cm

School/high school/secondary school

Canford School

Club

OUWBC

Undergraduate/graduate

Undergraduate

Undergraduate course

Medicine

Oxford college

Pembroke

Why are you studying your course?

The draw of a career that combines work with people, with scientific challenge and continued learning.

What is the most interesting part of your course?

I enjoy the communication skills most. I love all the different dynamics there are, with patients, their families, and all the other healthcare professionals you work with.

Year you first started rowing

2003

First rowing club

Dragon School, Tideway Scullers School

Why/how did you get into rowing? 

My dad suggested I try it out. Being an independent little girl, I refused to try initially, but when I gave in and had a go, I absolutely loved it.

Name of first rowing coach

Michael Righton

How do you balance rowing and academic life?

By being extremely busy. There’s undeniably an element of compromise too, but it is worth it when you get to have fantastic experiences instead of one.

What is your rowing history, and what has been your biggest achievement so far?

Some of my achievements while on the GB team are probably my biggest so far. Finishing 5th in the 8+ at my first senior world championships in 2017 is pretty memorable, as is winning silver in the 8+ at the European championships in Glasgow in 2018. Even though Covid meant I didn’t ultimately race at the Olympics, finishing 3rd at the 2020 Olympic trials is probably my proudest achievement. My Boat Race achievements are quite special too, especially being the winning President in 2015, when the women first raced on an equal stage to the men.

Have you raced in the Boat Race before? If yes, when?

2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

Your favourite race so far?

My National Schools final in 2012. We came from a small rowing school, so to win the championship quads in a record time felt amazing.

What is the best place you have ever rowed?

There is a dam we trained on in Aviz, Portugal -I loved how expansive it was.

Where would be your dream place to row?

A beautiful mountain lake somewhere.

Obviously, there are long hours and hard work, what inspires you to keep rowing?

The feel out on the water, I love being at one with the boat and the crew.

What do you feel is your greatest achievement through rowing, be it accolades or something more personal?

You learn so much, all the time when you are training as hard as we do. It gives a real sense of empowerment that you can take into other areas of life.

What has been your most embarrassing/funny rowing moment?

It wasn’t embarrassing at all, but it was very funny when we sank on the Tideway in the week before the 2015 Boat Race.

What is your favourite sports quote?

Eric Liddell: I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel his pleasure.

How would you describe the sport to a non-rower?

It’s so much better than you can imagine.

What is your favourite movie about sports? Why?

Chariots of Fire -I love the freedom with which Eric Liddell can pursue his running and his passion that comes from his faith.

How does being an athlete make you a better person?

For some reason society seems to think that sport does make people inherently ‘better’, I’m not sure it does. But I am passionate about the lessons you can learn through sport. I think being an athlete nurtures confidence in a person, that’s probably its biggest offering.

Why do you think someone outside of the sport can relate to your career as an athlete?

I think people relate to the hard work, they see how much effort you put into something, and I hope they can relate to the joy it brings me too.

What are your strengths, as a person and as an athlete?

I really enjoy the pursuit of excellence -that helps as an athlete. As a person, haha, this is always a hard question. Rowing has given me a huge amount of confidence, and I think that helps me to go through life making the most of opportunities.

What do your friends think of your athletic success? How do you handle missing out on activities with friends because of your athletic schedule?

Friends are always really impressed -but it’s much more normal than people realise. I happened to find something that I really enjoyed, and I was fortunate that I was also quite good at it. But as a person, it’s nothing more special than the success all my friends have in their lives. In terms of missing out -everything is a choice -I choose to go rowing instead of other things, so on an individual level, missing out is fine. But it is selfish, and I am always conscious of missing time with family and friends, they didn’t choose for me to be rowing all the time.

Do you think you can win the Boat Race? Why? 

Yes, of course. Racing is about doing your best every day. The result takes care of itself.