When we walked into the Conference Room at Leander Club a few minutes before officially kicking off the inaugural #WoxCon2024, the Wox mentors had a little moment together at the back, taking in the room and acknowledging how special it was.
The conference was the first of its kind in the UK, a whole day dedicated to the learning and development of coxing and the community. With three panels and six breakout groups, it was designed to have something to offer everyone, whether you were a novice, a coach, or had been steering boats for years.
In front of us sat a room of 80+ coxes and coaches, ready to learn, forge friendships and immerse themselves in the day. We had a range of suppliers ready to chat with the attendees, including many panellists who generously donated their time to support us. We also had more Wox stash than a Taylor Swift concert. It was the culmination of many hours of planning (and, let’s be honest, worrying… almost exclusively by Zoe), and it was truly wonderful to see it all come together.
Months before, when we had mooted the idea of an in-person conference, we weren’t sure what would be possible and how many would attend. Our summer course walks had proved successful, and online reach was steadily building momentum, but a full-day event would be different entirely. #WoxCon2024, however, proved to be a testament to the principle – “if you build it, they will come”. We were delighted to sell out ahead of the event, and excitingly, we had a range of ages and experiences represented. With coxswains flying in from Ireland and the Netherlands to attend and a growing waiting list, there is no doubt that our 2025 Conference will need a bigger venue.
The theme of #WoxCon2024 was “Big Cox Energy.” We wanted to celebrate the strengths, opportunities, and joy of sitting in that all-important coxswain seat and allow our attendees to freely explore what coxing means to them. We wanted to share our knowledge, bring in experts, and drive the community that is the cornerstone of all we do at The Winning Cox.
Our panels were expertly hosted by Fergus Mainland from JRN, and under his skilful management, we heard from ten different coxswains across three sessions. To kick things off, Harry Brightmore and Henry Fieldman, fresh from the Olympic Games in Paris, shared their insights into high-performance coxing on the grandest stage of all. It was a privilege to learn about their different journeys and hear about how they keep pushing to develop, even at the very top. A Wox mentor panel led us into lunch, and as well as hearing about the origin story of Wox, the attendees had plenty of time to ask questions ranging from coxing styles to dealing with selection. The final panel of the day saw several Boat Race coxes (including cox turned Umpire Matthew Holland) share a unique insight into life behind the scenes in some of the world’s most scrutinised coxing positions.
In addition to the panels, attendees selected three breakout sessions to attend, chosen from six different options. Led by either a mentor or a panellist, these sessions were designed to be an in-depth learning opportunity, with space to discuss and ask questions. On the day, you could choose to broaden your understanding of rigging down in the boat bay or head to the gym to improve your ergo coaching. There were sessions on maximising your data and managing athlete relationships, and you could even bring in recordings for group analysis.
The day was a resounding success, predominantly thanks to the openness and enthusiasm that every single person involved brought to the day. It felt like we were all participating in something significant, whether you were a contributor or a participant. One of the greatest joys was seeing coxes from different clubs, locations, and backgrounds chatting, sharing, and engaging with one another, whether in the coffee breaks or in breakout groups. The momentum was tangible, and the excitement was infectious.
For us, as Wox mentors, it demonstrated just how important in-person events are, and it was crystal clear that this was just the start of things to come. Follow us online to stay updated on our upcoming winter webinars, and we promise that #WoxCon2025 planning has already begun.
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