N O . 1 2 1 T H E T R U S T Y S E R VA N T
and one rowed for England . In October the 1st VIII took a rare trip across the pond to the US and came 2nd out of over 60 crews . During this time , Boat Club ’ s numbers have rarely exceeded 40 and the responsibility to compete in the top events has weighed on the shoulders of these few boys . Schools with far larger programmes ( most comparable schools have 150 rowers ) can look to their 2nd or 3rd crews ( or 4th , 5th and 6th , in Eton ’ s case ) to provide competition and feed through as they rise through the years . The current 1st VIII at St Paul ’ s are an excellent example of how this system works , where only one member from the top JP crew remains ; Winchester , in contrast , has six .
Thanks to the College and the generosity of parents , the boys can be confident that they get the best equipment ; indeed any holes in our boats are fixed by someone who used to work for McLaren ’ s F1 team . Video cameras are used to record each stroke in super slow motion and we even have a set of riggers that measure the effort boys put into their stroke . They have a dedicated weights area in the boathouse and , of course , plenty of rowing machines . All of these things are necessary to gain a competitive edge . However , at its core rowing remains a sport that rewards effort and sacrifice . Those in the top squad will train eight or nine times each week , sometimes having to get up at 6.30am in the midst of winter to churn out half an hour on the dreaded rowing machine before breakfast . They ’ ll row from 2pm to 5pm during half rems and then train once again in the gym after Preces . Balancing work and rowing requires remarkable dedication and organisation , and it is no surprise that a higher proportion of rowers go to Oxbridge than the School average . But that is the sport ’ s enduring attraction . If you are prepared to put in the work , the rewards are there . If you can sit on the start line and know that you have trained harder and more intelligently than your opposition then , if you lose , you can have no regrets .
Whilst the river may have its limitations , the coaches ’ and boys ’ ambitions do not : long may that continue .
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Often it is easy to do nothing …
declares Edward Parker ( F , 79-83 ) Co-Founder & CEO , Walking With The Wounded :
… and often it is easy to live without challenging oneself and not fully appreciating the beauty and privilege of this life we live . We live in a society where convenience and comfort are taken as read . As a generation we are fortunate to be growing up in a world which , while far from perfect , is a place where opportunities abound and little hardship is associated with it . Those of us educated at Win Coll are lucky . For the majority of us , our existence can be too easy : we sail through life without challenging ourselves and without challenging the world in which we live . Should we ? I believe that if we don ’ t we will be in danger of looking back on life with regrets .
As the youngest of three boys , my childhood was spent watching my brothers ’ lives evolving . I wanted to be doing what they were doing ; I wanted to be grown up too . Constantly I looked at others , not comparing my life to theirs , but aspiring to them . One of my brothers moved to South Africa and another joined the Army and it struck me as exciting . I wanted to discover more beyond the boundaries of school . It was within Win Coll that I encountered my first hero : Aspley Cherry-Garrard was a member of Captain Robert Scott ’ s Terra Nova expedition in 1911-12 . He wasn ’ t selected to join the ill-fated polar party , but was part of the team which supported Scott up onto the polar plateau . He was also one of those who took part in the winter journey around Cape Crozier to collect an egg from the emperor penguin colony , an epic story told by Cherry- Garrard in his book The Worst Journey in the World . I found the endeavours of these Edwardian adventurers breath-taking , challenging the unknown , and demonstrating not only extraordinary physical courage , but a mental fortitude which allowed them to achieve beyond the norm . These men were pushing the boundaries . A seed was sown in my mind . I realised there were opportunities way beyond well-trodden predictable career paths , well beyond the plans which society had for one : opportunities filled with challenge , excitement and fulfilment .
After school I immediately joined the Army , serving in the infantry . While the days were often long and repetitive , I found myself suddenly in a world of excitement . I was earning my living on the streets of Northern Ireland . Aged 20 I was expected to be making quick decisions , with the safety and well-being of my platoon resting on my shoulders . We would be wet , tired , on occasions frightened ; we had no luxuries ; we didn ’ t get the weekends off ; we weren ’ t welcomed by most of the community we were protecting . But it was exciting . For the first time in my life I was challenged and that was hugely rewarding . In my short Army career I went on to have adventures in the jungle , in the desert , and I had the opportunity to scale mountains . Each time there was the initial trepidation , the concern ‘ Could I do it ?’ In every case , I would sit down and
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