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FINAL THOUGHTS
Tobias Bernard
OUBC Men’s President
The most inspiring part of OUBC is the range of athletes, from undergraduate freshers to final-year DPhils, and from those who have rowed at their colleges to those who have succeeded on the world stage. Not only does this make for a unique mix of interesting personalities, but it also confronts you with the value of the opportunity that it is to do this race.
Each of your teammates’ different experiences causes their motivation to do The Boat Race to be unique.
For some, it is about pushing their body to the limit of its physicality and making the most of being in their physical prime. For others, it is the ultimate rowing competition, with an unmatched history and drama that makes it irresistible.
With all your teammates expressing what it means to be part of this club for them, you cannot help but be inspired and add their list of motivations to your own.
With the range of abilities in the club, I find it useful to look to others for the behaviours, rather than the results that inspire you.
In that sense, what has surprised me the most is the athletes with international pedigree who not only share their experience with the newer squad members but also take inspiration from the impressive work ethic and commitment of athletes with far fewer accolades to their names.