Coaches Corner | The Gemini Boat Race

Behind every great athlete, there is a story. A set of events that caused a chain reaction. Something that propelled that person from the anonymity of normalcy to the public consciousness.

For some, their destiny at the forefront of sporting excellence was written in the stars from a nearly age. For others, late bloomers, twilight developers, the ecosystem they had around them in their formative years drove them on to achieve extraordinary things.

Perhaps then, we ought to re-assess the set of events theory in light of the fact that many athletes who achieve great things often attribute their success to one particular person – a coach.

It is hard to truly assess the effect a good coach has on the development of a young person. They take diamonds in the rough and transform them into incredible stars, often making great personal sacrifice to ensure that person(s) scales the giddy heights of their ambition.

There is no greater example of the power of the coach than in rowing. Physical superiority coupled with technical precision and mental fortitude make rowing a quasi-dance of desperately difficult demands – and that complexity lends itself perfectly to the role of the coach, who finesses and guides the crew from nine individuals to one harmonious entity.

In association with PlayerLayer, the Official Technical Kit Supplier of The Gemini Boat Race, Junior Rowing News are proud to present the first edition of Coaches Corner – a unique series that aims to tell the stories behind the stories and shed a light on the people who create incredible rowers. To begin, we spoke with several Oxford and Cambridge athletes ahead of The Gemini Boat Race this weekend.

Oxford

Julia Lindsay

Conal Groom, because he is so invested in each athlete. He understands his athletes as individual people, so he knows when to put the pressure on vs. extend a helping hand. His workouts also taught me that I could get through anything.

Megan Stoker

Andrew Nelder, who has supported me during a hard first year in a performance club environment. His technical focus in sessions has greatly helped me become a more efficient rower, whilst also pushing us hard enough to be stronger and fitter athletes meaning I feel I can now achieve my full potential in a boat.

Martha Birtles

Georgie Grant, who is actually in my squad, because she has taught me how powerful self-belief can be, as well as how to move as part of a team. She pushes and inspires me to be better every session. 

Martin Barasko

Terry Paul, who worked with me as a young athlete and instilled the confidence that if you work hard enough and have the right mindset you can beat much more experienced athletes. 

Augustin Wambersie

Paulo Vinicius de Souza was not only my coach but also my mentor growing up. He not only made me a better rower, but also a better athlete, a better student and a better man. Winning races was just a consequence of all that.

Jesse Oberst

Mark Schoeffel, or Coach Schoeffel as we called him, thundering “he’s a good kid.” He always believed in his charges – whether in English class or in our shell as we plied the waters. Schoeff expected us to stay the course, to do well and to do good.  

Cambridge

Caoimhe Dempsey

Andrew Coleman, who was my first coach and taught me that rowing is about being able to feel the boat, the timing, moving with the water, and he equipped his athletes with the skills necessary to pursue that movement. He made rowing, for me, not just about how hard you work, but how well you move and respond.

Sarah Tisdall

Ned Drayton was the coach who introduced me to the world of rowing outside of high school & made me fall in love with the sport. While his technical coaching advice was invaluable, he also taught us so much about the mental side of rowing. Many of his lessons have stuck with me throughout the years, and I am very grateful to have had him as a coach as a young rower.

Abigail Parker

Lisa Stone was the coach who got me permanently hooked on rowing because, on my first team, she established a really strong culture that emphasized continuous improvement, reward for effort, and contribution to the team. She taught me how to race but also how to truly dedicate myself to a cause, to push myself, and to bring others along with me.

Ben Dyer

Rob Baker, as he alongside all of the excellent CUBC assistant coaches have taken me from complete novice to being selected for the Boat Boat this year. There is simply no way I could have progressed at this rate without the guidance of a world class coaching team.

Seb Benzecry

Bobby Thatcher was a real inspiration to me during my time at St Paul’s, as I know he was to the other guys in my crew, and to all crews that he’s coached. He was an amazing coach, but it’s his respect for his athletes that I appreciated most about him. In the end, every time we raced, we were racing for him as much as we were racing for ourselves.

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