By now you will probably have heard on the grapevine about the disaster that struck the first VIII at Henley this year. An unfortunate breakage of the bowman's gate in the first six strokes of the race left him without his oar and unable to row. The crew carried on in vain, but the race was lost as soon as the disaster struck.
I watched as the crew battled with the balance, the opposition, themselves and the unrelenting Henley course. I felt deeply upset for them. How would they react to this, and how would they cope with this disaster? Some would cry, others go quiet, some be angry and others be in disbelief that all their hard work and dedication was ended in such a way. All those emotions are real and all valid at different times when dealing with a disastrous situation. I saw each individual in the crew go through all of these emotions; I wanted to help, say something inspiring, something that would make things better, but alas I failed. I said a few words, gave a few hugs but the crew's deep emptiness remained. There was nothing I could do or say to make things better. However, having been in these situations before I told the guys that time is a great healer and that in time they would reflect on what a tremendous achievement it was to pre-qualify for Henley and row solidly and unselfishly over the course with 7 men.
A short while later, the crew met in the Stewards' Enclosure looking happier and more relaxed. The pain was still there but time had already healed some of the wounds. Some will recover more quickly than others but time heals all in the end. In many years to come they will meet in the street, perhaps at a reunion or even at Henley and they will reflect on how well they did. Disaster will keep that relationship tied for life and time will have healed the wounds.