In the recent 162nd Boat Race between Cambridge and Oxford, Cambridge men’s crew won a decisive victory, watched by 250,000 spectators along the riverbank and supporters around the world from Canada to Zambia.
As high winds stirred up the most difficult conditions for years, the highlight of the day for many was the performance of the Cambridge women’s first crew on the turbulent waters. They battled through to the end, refusing all help, despite being in imminent danger of sinking beneath the waves.
In the words of John Pritchard, Chair of the Cambridge Alumni Advisory Board and a rowing competitor in the Summer Olympics of 1980 and 1984:
“If anyone ever asks you why sport matters, ask them to look at the footage of that race and it will tell you all you need to know about courage, discipline, tenacity and collective effort.“