 I was first introduced to rowing at Walton in 1990 at the age of 14 following an introduction from a family friend. I wasn’t a particularly sporty kid, but enjoyed being active.
After a couple of month I met and teamed up with Steve Trapmore, shortly after Lional Everington spotted our enthusiasm and took us under his wing and coached us. What followed was a rapid progression through the ranks. This provided plenty of motivation as well as humorous moments in equal measure. Steve and me proved a strong combination going from strength to strength winning numerous events over the first years we competed. Some key moments of my time as a junior at Walton: | 1990 | Walton Small Boats Head | Our first race, Our first win J15 2- | | 1991 | National Schools Regatta | silver J16 2x | | 1991 | National Championships | silver Junior 2x | | | National Championships | bronze J16 2x | | 1992 | Henley Royal Regatta | Finalists Junior 4x (with Trent RC) | | 1992 | National Championships | Gold Junior 1x | | | National Championships | silver J16 1x | | | Home Countries International | Gold Junior 1x representing England | | 1993 | Henley Royal Regatta | Winners Junior 4x (same crew as 1992) | | | Coupe de la Jeunnesse | Junior 2x Gold | | 1994 | National Schools regatta | Silver Junior 1x | | | Junior World Championships | 1x – 10th place (42 entries) | Having finished school I moved away to University to studying for a Bsc in Sport Science. I kept strong links with Walton, although spent the next few years rowing at Leander club in Henley before a few years at Molesey and finally based with the National team. I continued to compete internationally, moving directly into the senior team and subsequent World and Olympic regattas. I continued to compete through until 2004 (see below). During this time I collected 4 silver medals from major championships as well as numerous medals from World Cup races throughout the years. Other than National trials I have had little opportunity to compete on home shores, but made it count when I did. 1995 | World Championships | lwt 4x | 1996 | Olympic Games | lwt 2x | 1997 | U23 Championships | lwt 4x | 1998 | U23 Championships | lwt 4x | 1998 | World Championships | lwt 4x | 1999 | Commonwealth Regatta | lwt 2- & 4x | 2000 | World Championships | lwt 8 | 2001 | World Championships | lwt 8 | 2002 | World Championships | lwt 4x | 2003 | World Championships | lwt 8 | 2004 | World Championships | lwt 1x | Life wasn’t always easy and I have had to overcome many obstacles on the way. Each year presents a new challenge and requires a slightly different approach to move forward. By 2004 after 12 years of international competition the physical effect were causing recurring injuries, so I decided to step back and begin to build a career outside of sport. Throughout my time as an athlete I always maintained some form of employment from fitness instructor and personal trainer in a health club, to a stint as a civil servant, which lead me, somehow, to embark on a career in accountancy. I am currently working in house for an insurance company. I am still an active person, but have traded a boat for 2 wheels and the open road. I compete on a regular basis, but never quite manage to fit in the training in between races to make any significant improvement. A clear lesson to heed! |
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