King’s Ely Junior was delighted to welcome the coach and three members of the Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club to talk about their recent experiences in the sport.
With the annual boat race coming up in April, the talk was designed to inspire the young pupils to take up the sport at school. The rowers, who are planning to be competing in the women’s race this year, were delighted to share the news that the race is to be held on the same course as the men’s race for the first time this spring.
Head of King’s Ely Junior, Richard Whymark, explained how beneficial it was for the pupils, “Their accounts of training, study, competitions and the overall passion they conveyed to our children was inspiring. They were wonderful examples of young people who take on a significant additional load and yet have the resilience to thrive academically at the same time. Their explanations of their personal discipline, drive and conviction to achieve the best they might were wonderfully uplifting”.
Rowing has proved very popular with students at the school, Ely being located on one of the finest stretches of training river in the country. Significant investment in new boats and other equipment has made the sport increasingly appealing for young rowers, and most will continue to row in King’s Ely Senior, with many competing at national and even international level.