School to Scholar: The Journey of a Blue

Cover image credit: World Rowing

Despite the threat of COVID-19, it seems as if the 2020 Boat Race will go ahead, but what does it take to be a Blue? Junior Rowing News had the opportunity to discuss the journey from School to Scholar with two athletes in the running for a seat in this year’s premier Light Blue boats.

We first sat down with Callum Sullivan in the Goldie boathouse, where the victories and losses of Boat Races past have shaped the building into less of a Gym, and more of a Dojo.

As Callum hastily downed a chocolate bagel after his first training session of the day, we began to discuss how he came to rowing, and what his initial experience of rowing was like at Cambridge.

Inspired by the Olympics, Callum took up rowing in 2012 at his local rowing club in East London: Globe Rowing Club. Being at a state grammar school which did not offer rowing at the time, an external club was his only option, but he soon fell in love with both the club and the sport.

“After I learned the basics on a Learn to Row camp, I progressed into the squad where I got my first ‘big’ opportunity at the J16 sculling camp… Later that same year we went on to win Silver at Nat Schools. That was a big moment for us”

He wasn’t alone within his family, however, with his passion for the sport. His brother – Dominic Sullivan – was part of the Men’s Eight that took Great Britain to victory at the 2018 Junior World Championships. Despite the occasional disagreement, the rivalry between the two fuelled their sporting appetite, and to this day they still enjoy rowing together.

Soon though, Callum turned his sights on his next steps and set the bar high with an application to read Music at the University of Cambridge.

When asked what motivated him to study at Cambridge, Callum was keen to emphasise it was a mix of two factors: Academics and Rowing. Having competed to a high level as a junior, the Boat Race seemed like an exciting next step, and crucially a good challenge.

Once at Cambridge, Callum immersed himself in the squad and soon found that once the adrenaline wore off, there were a few downsides to juggling high-performance sport, and high-intensity academics.

“Apart from the things like fatigue and stress, the academic side is far more challenging for us… In my first year, I’d turn up to about half my lectures and fall asleep… it was terrible”

But on the whole, rowing at Cambridge gave Callum something a less intense pastime could never provide: an attitude and a focus which he’s been able to apply to his life as a whole. He spoke about how it has allowed him to structure his life, and always make sure he’s working towards a goal. Something we all might envy.

After Callum hastily downed far more food than would be reasonable for most, he left to attend lectures, and finish off that day’s training. But before we left, JRN also managed to speak to Bronya Sykes, a First-Year Natural Science student who has been battling hard to secure a seat in the Blue Boat on race day.

Bronya’s passion for rowing – much like Callum’s – is one shared by members of her family. Her dad had originally learned to row at university, and later came back to the sport as a master where he coached Bronya and her sisters in their formative years in the sport.

“He was a really big part in getting me involved in rowing, and was really enthusiastic about watching it on TV and going down to the races”

Having first stepped into a boat at the tender age of eleven, Bronya was several years ahead of her peers in regard to finding her style, and she soon put this to good use…

Just three years later as a J14 she experienced her first major success winning a bronze medal at the scullery, which for her – and Trafford Rowing Club – was a huge success, especially for a club with an understated history.

As she moved up the junior ladder, Bronya collected local pots and medals like they were going out of fashion, until a new coach at the club encouraged her to attend the British Rowing Women’s Training Days and to actively think about her future in the sport. From here Bronya raced at the BR Start Regatta and began to increase the level of her rowing until – as with many athletes – the sport became more and more a part of her life.

… some of those things were really important, because other than that one medal at J14, most of our racing was local and fun, rather than at the big National events…”

Having proven her worth in the boat, Bronya’s thoughts inevitably turned to the next stages of her life. She knew from a young age that she wanted to pursue an academic path, but didn’t want to let the academics fall to the side, and the mixture of academics and rowing that Cambridge could offer made the quaint city the obvious destination.

Having arrived at University, the nature of the squad played on her mind, and she began to worry that the high-pressure environment would create an atmosphere of jealousy and animosity, but she soon realised her fears were unfounded.

“I was worried it would be tense and everyone would be worried about seats, but it’s so much more of a community with a supportive feel”

In a similar way to her male counterpart, Bronya found that being a CU athlete gave her much more than strong legs and impressive splits. The squad soon because her second family, and although there is tension at times, the support she and her teammates gain from each other, far outweigh the pain of early starts.

Whether or not Callum and Bronya have made the Blue Boats will soon be public knowledge, as will the effects of COVID-19 on this year’s Boat Race which promises to be an impressive showdown on the ever-unpredictable Tideway.

JRN will continue to cover the Boat Race 2020 with insights and interviews on both the race itself and the wider sporting community. To make sure you don’t miss a beat of JRN opinion and our regular coverage of events such as SHORR and NSR, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Ed Evans

Opinions Editor

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