Pete Reed – the spirit of an athlete
Unless you've been out of the country for the last week or so you're almost certainly aware that triple Olympic rowing champion, Pete Reed, has given a candid and incredibly moving interview to Sir Matthew Pinsent about life since his spinal stroke in September this...
It’s a kind of magic – the World Rowing Masters Regatta
I've never been a big subscriber to the claim that "it's not the winning, it's the taking part". For someone as competitive as me, it's always, always been about the winning. But heading out to the World Rowing Masters Regatta, for the first time ever, I really did...
Should you wear sunglasses for rowing? And if so, which ones?
There was a time when I would wear any old sunnies for rowing. As a forgetful, clumsy type prone to losing and sitting on my belongings, I figured the cheaper the better. Until, that is, I found myself rowing alongside an optometrist who told me, in no uncertain...
Racing in the heat – how to survive a hot regatta
We've just officially had the hottest August Bank Holiday on record. I think the technical description is "scorchio". And since we all know that August Bank Holiday means Ross Regatta, it meant I was racing in temperatures more appropriate for the average sauna. Not...
My new rowing friends! The draw for the Worlds is out.
The draw is out for the World Rowing Masters Championships and I'm not gonna lie, I can feel the butterflies in my stomach. It's all suddenly got a bit scarily real. But alongside the jitters I'm genuinely excited to see all the crews that I'm up against. Yes, for...
Operation 82 – it’s not over ’till it’s over
Two months ago, racing at the Worlds seemed, if not exactly realistic, then at least doable. I was heading towards my final cancer treatment with every prospect of bouncing back afterwards. We had long months of training stretching ahead of us. The sun was shining. It...
The maiden voyage of Girl on the River
Ever since I took delivery of my gorgeous new boat I've been itching to race in her. Unfortunately I had to pull out of Llandaff as I had a nasty cold, so Bewdley Regatta was the venue for the maiden voyage of Girl on the River (as a racing boat, at any rate). I was...
Girl on the River’s ultimate wild swimming kit list
In the last few months I've been taking every opportunity I can to plunge myself into cold bodies of water. I've swum in the River Usk, two spots on the River Wye and even in a sailing lake in the Cotswolds and I'm planning a few British sea swims later in the...
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