1 mins
Paddy Ryan
Rowing is a sport of paradoxes – pursuing perfection while accepting that you can only do your best. As a coach, this balance is no different. A journalist recently asked me how much longer I could keep doing this. The question caught me off guard. After all, I have only been leading this program for four years and coaching at Cambridge University Boat Club since 2013. Compared to the legendary coaches before me, my tenure feels like a flash. I am far from perfect, but each day, I strive to give my best and to help my athletes do the same.
This season, as always, we have a diverse mix of athletes: returning rowers, international competitors, graduate students, and those who learned to row at their colleges. What’s particularly exciting is the growing presence of athletes from UK rowing schools. All these women are exceptional individuals, working hard to improve not only themselves but also those around them. That, to me, defines a successful team.
For our fixture season we once again raced Thames Rowing Club in a fixture that saw tenacity from both crews. Leander were next and we timed this for when the GB athletes were released from the National Training Centre. While we lost, it was exactly the environment I hoped for to see how we choose to react to a challenging situation. We met both crews again at the Women’s Head of the River. It’s an incredible event and a celebration of women’s rowing: to compete on International Women’s Day alongside several thousand women was special.
This year has been tougher than most. There are so few people who get to experience this race. Whatever happens by the time both Oxford and Cambridge get to the finish, I hope the crews can find friendship and share stories in the future.