Henley Royal Regatta is the oldest, most historic rowing competition. Thousands of people come down to the river banks to watch some of the best rowing in the world. Qualifying for this regatta is a huge achievement and I am proud to say that my school crew from Monkton Combe school became the first Monkton boat to qualify for 15 years. It was a great effort from everyone. We turned up to the qualifying regatta with one goal in our minds. Qualify. So off we set. Battering our way into a strong headwind. It wasn't our best row we have ever had but we did enough to get the job done and we were rewarded with a bottle of champagne and some rather proud parents. All the training had paid off. Every ergo session, Every early morning and late evenings. We did it and it was worth it. The good news was that we qualified. The bad news was that we were now up against some strong crews. We were drawn against Kent school from the USA and despite them having an extra 8kg per man we managed to lose by only two lengths. Although we were gutted to have lost we lost to the better crew. Racing down that course is something that I will never forget. Past Temple Island. The Barrier. The hole in the wall, and all the other famous landmarks. It was fantastic. Something else that will be a fond memory is the fact that the Kent boys all came over after the race to shake our hands and to have a chat. It is moments like this that you realize rowing is one of those sports that brings people together. Every rower knows what an ergo feels like. Every rower knows how winning a race feels like. Every rower knows how losing a race feels like. It is that understanding and respect that makes this sport so special.
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