James Trotman

Nationality

GBR

Height

1.73m

School/High School: St Paul’s School

Club

CUBC

Undergraduate/Graduate

Undergraduate

Undergraduate course

BA Economics

What is your Cambridge College?

Sidney Sussex

Why are you studying your course?

Economics provides a grounding in both the quantitative and qualitative skills required to tackle a fundamentally changing world, and engage with issues as complex and impactful as wealth inequality, climate change, and productivity. I particularly enjoy the lively debates that these themes encourage, and the ability to use data to question the assumptions behind them. Ultimately, the course gives me an unparalleled level of insight and interest into current affairs and the workings behind the world’s major economies.

Year you first started rowing?

2017

First rowing club?

St Paul’s School Boat Club

Why/How did you get into rowing?

When my school offered a week-long taster course for rowing in the summer holiday, I jumped at the chance to try a new sport. I kept rowing for a few months before realising I was more suited to coxing, and after particularly enjoying the thrill of the summer regatta races in my first season, have continued ever since.

Name of first rowing coach?

Doug Perrin

Who is your rowing idol?

Henry Fieldman

How do you balance rowing and academic life?

Balancing the two requires a high level of organisation, time management, and focus whilst working, and I find that trying to avoid unnecessary distractions when working allows me to use the time I have to study more effectively. Ultimately, coxing and studying is a highly complementary and varied combination, and I almost always have the energy and motivation to undertake both.

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

I have coxed for SPSBC for 5 years, except in the time interrupted by Covid. I also coxed the GBR U19 8+ at the 2022 World Rowing Junior Championships in Varese, Italy, winning a silver medal. However, my greatest rowing achievement is undoubtedly winning the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta with SPSBC in 2022.

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

No

Have you ever been at school/ university/on a team with anyone at ‘the other place’?

No

Your favourite race so far?

My race with SPSBC on the Wednesday of the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup 2022 against Shiplake College. Coming back from almost a length behind to progress to the next round gave me and the whole crew the belief and confidence that we needed.

What is the best place you have ever rowed?

Probably on the Thames at Henley Royal Regatta, the gladiatorial style of racing at the regatta and the atmosphere of the Stewards’ Enclosure makes it a truly unique and special place to compete. I also enjoyed the picturesque alpine scenery when rowing in Varese, Italy.

Where would be your dream place to row?

I would love to cox on the Rotsee in Lucerne, it strikes me for its combination of beautiful scenery and tense, channelled atmosphere.

Obviously, it’s long hours and hard work – what inspires you to keep rowing?

I am continually inspired by the commitment and dedication of both my coaches and teammates and motivated by the opportunity to earn the right to compete in a Boat Race.

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

Aside from the accolades I have earned through rowing, I feel that it has greatly helped me to develop my confidence and become a more outgoing person, especially by getting the opportunity to compete alongside and learn from so many talented and motivated athletes.

What is your favourite sports quote?

“What makes something special is not just what you have to gain, but what you feel there is to lose.” – Andre Agassi

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

Coxing is the ultimate form of multitasking – simultaneously observing your opponents, coaching your crew, steering the course, and adapting the race plan on the fly to produce the best outcome.

What has been your most embarrassing/funny rowing moment?

This is undoubtedly when I was 13 years old and, despite having already specialised as a cox, had to substitute into the bow seat of my school’s 5th octo at The Scullery race, due to an injury elsewhere on the team. Both 2k laps in the race took well over 9 minutes to complete.

How does being an athlete make you a better person?

Being an athlete has shown me that an achievement is only worth the sum of the effort and dedication that you have invested in working towards it, and that playing the long game is the best way to be satisfied with what you have accomplished.

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

My career as a cox shows that even someone as physically unremarkable as me can achieve amazing things through practice and dedication.

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

I would say that there is a lot of overlap between my strengths as a person and as a cox, particularly in being fastidious and meticulous in the work that I do.

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

Most of my friends are supportive of my athletic success, even when they don’t understand the finer points of training or racing. Rather than focus on the times that I miss out on activities, I prefer to make the most of the time that I spend with my friends and enjoy it as much as possible.