'I’ve always been sporty, and although I don’t have the traditional build for rowing (I’m about 5 foot 5 inches), I thought “when in Cambridge”.'
On my first full day at Lucy Cavendish, I went to the fresher’s fair to check out what the college had to offer. I knew before I went that I wanted to try out rowing – I’ve always been sporty, and although I don’t have the traditional build for rowing (I’m about 5 foot 5 inches), I thought “when in Cambridge”. Little did I know that 5 years later I would still be rowing, having joined a town club in Cambridge shortly after graduating from my one-year MPhil course.
I’ve had the privilege to be involved in the Lucy Cavendish College Boat Club ever since joining as a novice rower, coaching various crews over the last 4 years. LCCBC taught me the basics way back when I had no idea, and now I do my best to return the favour each year. This Easter term, I had the honour of coaching the LCCBC W2 crew. The terms at Cambridge are short, so there isn’t much time to take a crew from novice, to May Bumps ready. If you’d have asked me (or any of the crew for that matter) a couple weeks into term, I would not have anticipated the success that they had this May Bumps. But what never failed to amaze me was the amazing attitude of the rowers involved, not just in W2, but the whole boat club. The community of support and spirit was soon rewarded in boat speed. In a sport based on togetherness, going fast can often be about enjoying your time together, both on and off the water.
Fast forward to June 2019, eight weeks since our first session. There had been some frustration, but plenty of fun too. Watching my crew row up to the start of May Bumps, and hearing mutters of “Lucy Cav are looking good” from strangers on the bank, I felt huge pride in what the crew had achieved. We soon proved we were a force to be reckoned with, bumping up on day 1 into second place in our W4 division (in less than 500m no less). Another day and another bump followed, this time taking us to top of our division, and offering the chance to secure a place at the bottom of the W3 division. As is the way with bumps, luck wasn’t on our side in that race, and we were faced with a battle the next day to avoid capture at the top of W4 division, before having a second chance at the W3 division. LCCBC W2 had one of the best rows I have seen from them, and on the third day, they managed to secure a place in W3 division with a great bump on Grassy corner. Three days in, and three bumps secured, we moved into the last day with hopes of winning Blades and making it four for four.
Bumps is hugely psychological, and attitude and focus can make or break a crew. On the final day of bumps, I watched on as the crew captain gave a pep talk to the crew. The gist of it was this – Lucy Cavendish is a small college, and people sometimes underestimate us. Nobody will hand us our bump or place. But we know that if we perform to the best of our abilities and utilise the hard work and early mornings, we have the chance to succeed. LCCBC W2 are the first crew to win blades since the boat club split from Hughes Hall, a testament to the hard work the rowers and the college have put in over the last year. All of this perfectly embodies the spirit of the amazing people I have met during my time at Lucy Cavendish, and I am so grateful that I made the decision to join the boat club on my first day. LCCBC has helped me make lifelong friends, and shaped my time in Cambridge more than I could have known.
Abbey Child
2014, Public Health
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the view of Lucy Cavendish College.