- How has life been since the Boat Race?
Things have been going well! I took a couple of weeks after the race to do absolutely nothing and decompress, which I think was much needed after a long season. Since then, it’s been thesis writing, and some rowing training as we look towards Henley. My girlfriend and I got a puppy at the start of the season, who I didn’t see as much of in the lead up to the Boat Race, so it’s been nice to spend lots of time with him, especially in the nicer weather.
- What are your best memories of the day?
The day goes by in a blur. After our pre-paddle in the morning, we headed back to the house we’d been staying at all week, for a couple of hours of quiet before returning to Putney. I remember from then on feeling surprisingly calm, and everyone was in good spirits and making jokes. That attitude carried all the way through to the start line, where we were still joking around and unphased when the race was delayed due to debris in the water.
The race itself flew by for me. Of course you remember key moments – our move after Craven Cottage, and crossing through the finish line to name a couple. Since the race, I’ve probably rewatched the race 50 times, so it’s definitely still fresh in my mind…
The dinner after the race is really something special. You get to celebrate the day with friends, family, guys who I raced with at CUBC from 2020 to today, and alumni from years gone by. It’s such a unique opportunity to bring the club together, have fun, and mark what was an awesome year for the club as a whole.
- This was your fourth Boat Race campaign, including having been CUBC President, and coxing Goldie. How did you feel when you got the cox’s seat in the Blue Boat?
This was my 5th year with CUBC, and my 4th Boat Race (the race was cancelled in 2020). Getting selected for the Blue Boat this year was pretty special, even more so as I’d fallen short of the mark a couple of times in previous years. Very quickly after you know you’re in the boat, the weight of the Race and the responsibility of what you have to do hits you fast, so I don’t think I really appreciated it properly until after the race!
- How did it feel to get back to the laptop afterwards?
I work mostly from home – it was nice to take a couple of weeks off after the Race, catching up on some sleep, and returning to the real world! I’m now back in the swing of working and everything is going well.
- What was it like balancing rowing and study throughout the winter?
It can be challenging! Having done this a few times before helps. Personally, you learn that both rowing and academic work come in ebbs and flows of intensity, and part of getting the juggling act right is riding those waves, and focusing on what’s important in the moment. It’s important I think also to be aware that this balancing act isn’t just happening to you – every person in the boat has their own pinch points throughout the year where there’s a lot on their plate, and it’s up to everyone else to create an environment that allows them to perform well on and off the water.
- How’s the PhD progressing?
The PhD is going well! I’m writing up my thesis now, hoping to submit it in the coming months. Writing up the thesis involves looking back at your entire PhD, and bringing all of the work you’ve done into a single, coherent story. So it’s been really nice actually to be doing that while also enjoying the post-Boat Race life, as I’ve been able to be pretty introspective about my years studying and rowing at Cambridge.
- What are your career plans after your PhD? Or do you hate people asking you that question?
I need to finish the PhD first! I’m hoping to move to a software engineering role, most likely in London, but one step at a time…
- Sum up your PhD research in one, easily-understandable sentence:
Developing methods to get a 3D model of a foot from images you can take on a mobile phone – to improve the digital shoe shopping experience and get better fitting shoes.