Gold Medals do not come cheaply at any level, and in particular Olympic Golds. Those who win them dedicate themselves to training for four or even eight or more years, as Steve Williams has done, so we salute his efforts and those of all who have rowed with him and helped him to achieve one of sport's ultimate goals.
Not all win Gold of course, and we feel for Alex Partridge who had his chance of winning cruelly taken away by injury only a short while after he has been selected for the Gold-winning crew. After his personal setback, Alex's contribution to the crew's success continued from the side-lines, in generous-spirited and persistent encouragement of the crew in the following weeks. They could not have asked for a better supporter.
It was a tight race, and the small band of supporters who met in a Monkton coach's house were as enthralled by the race as many other groups of people round the world. Champagne was in the fridge, but we sensed that the GB crew would not have wanted us to drink it if they had been just one foot slower, and we would not have done so. The non-oarsmen present, including the BBC reporter who was there to see our reactions to the race found this attitude difficult to comprehend, but it was well understood by some MCSBC members who have won and lost races by a foot or two.
At MCSBC, most of us must have aims below Olympic gold, but each member of the Club must have aims all the same. They are not always achieved. For some age groups and some crews at Monkton they are never achieved. We all know that 'never' is a long time, and it's not all that long since J14, J15, J16 and Senior athletes have won medals at national events. But memories are short. Some members of last year's 1st VIII have never won a regatta event; the younger age groups at Monkton have won no more than a handful of events in the past five years. This lack of success is not good for the Club or for the oarsmen and oarswomen concerned. The New Director of Rowing is determined to bring a sense of purpose to the Club, and we wish him well. Gold medals will still not be easy to win, and none should be won without honest and persistent training by those concerned. While the School, the Club and the Coaches should provide time, facilities and opportunities for all our young athletes, the eagerness to improve to succeed must be a spark in each one of us. Aim for Gold.