Olympic medallist and Oxford’s Blue Boat stroke for The Boat Race 2025, the incoming women’s President this year will be Heidi Long.

This will be your second year rowing with Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC). What was your most memorable experience of last year?

As clichéd as it sounds, there were so many incredible memories so it’s hard to pick. But Trial Eights really stands out. The wind, racing intensity and atmosphere within the team gave me the first real taste of what a Boat Race campaign is like. It was the first time I raced the Championship Course, and it earned my respect very quickly, I was already looking for the finish line and we hadn’t even made it to Hammersmith Bridge!

After winning a medal in the Women’s Eight in the Paris Olympics, how did a Boat Race compare?

Both were unforgettable in their own way, and I feel lucky to have been part of them. The Olympics was the result of 20 years of chasing a dream and Paris put on a spectacular show. But The Boat Race has its own magic. It is steeped in decades of tradition and legacy, and being part of OUBC feels incredibly powerful. To add to that, The Boat Race is a lot longer.

Tell us about how your rowing journey started, at Marlow Rowing Club.

Two friends and I signed up to every sport possible when we started secondary school, one of which was rowing. There wasn’t a boat club, but we would go to 2012 Olympic Regatta venue Dorney Lake once a week. When I was 13, my family were in Marlow one weekend and we saw the junior rowing squad out training. We chatted to the coach, and I did a 500m erg test then and there. Little did I realise that that was the start of rowing six days a week. From that point on, I loved the sport. Marlow Rowing Club gave me a community, an environment to grow in and a passion I still feel every day. I am very grateful for the coaches, teammates and parent volunteers who supported me as a junior and the club who continues to support me today.

How did you set about building a crew of all the disparate rowing backgrounds at OUBC, for example Olympians like yourself and people for whom they first learned to row in Oxford?

Honestly, that is one of the best things about The Boat Race. It brings together athletes from completely different paths and unites them into something greater than the sum of their parts. Having one shared goal, making the boat go as fast as possible, enabled us to navigate any differences and bring out the best in each other. Everyone has something to bring, and I learned so much from all the amazing women on the team. They inspire me every day.

How inspiring is it to study at Lady Margaret Hall, which was the first Oxford college to admit women in 1879?

It is incredibly inspiring. Being at Lady Margaret Hall, as well as Oxford in general, is a constant reminder of how much history, knowledge and tradition you’re surrounded by. Cycling through the city each day makes it hard to not be in awe of this amazing city! I feel very lucky to be here.

What are you most proud of achieving last season?

I am proud that we qualified two women’s eights for the Island Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, for student women’s eights. It’s the first time OUBC have done this and feels like a big step forward. But more than that, I am proud to be part of this team. Across The Boat Race weekend all three women’s boats showed relentless, gritty attitude. Even though we didn’t have the result we wanted, every single person gave 100% of what they had every stroke. At the start of the season we wanted to strive to be drivers, gritty and have a pack mentality which really came through when it mattered most.

How did you manage to balance the studying and training?

It is not easy! This is probably one of the parts I have found most challenging. It was a big change from being a student-athlete during my undergraduate degree at the University of Virginia, USA, six years ago. Honestly, I couldn’t have done it without my partner Maddie Arlett. She supported me so much whilst balancing life in Oxford. As well as this a few practical things helped too. We would do a lot of meal prep and batch cooking to save time later in the week. And, I find I get my best work done first thing in the morning so I try and get up early to stay on top of my studying.

Are you someone who loves doing the miles in the dark at Wallingford, or do you live for the race days?

Both! I absolutely love being out on the water, whether its racing or training, it is hard to beat being out in a crew boat. I would happily never go on an ergo again if it meant more time rowing!

How will you lead the squad this year?

There is already a great culture in the team, and I want to build on that. My goal is to help create an environment where everyone feels like they can push their limits and see what they are capable of. Rowing has given me confidence, opportunities and friends and I would love to help others find that too.

Can you sum up the implications of your MRes in one sentence that a lay person could understand.

My research looks at how ultra-processed food affects female fertility. The aim is to understand how modern diets impact ovarian health. It could eventually help shape dietary guidelines for women struggling with fertility and even influence food policy

And finally, tell us something about yourself that nobody else knows.

I was the Bucks county champion for table tennis when I was nine years old.