From my personal experience of rowing, I've been able to forge great friendships and focus on many different aspects of my life; whether it is studying, diets, training or relationships. Rowing, more than any other sport, becomes a lifestyle and a major part of day to day life. I started rowing at Monkton in 2000 as a J14, and quickly fell in love with the sport, probably because it distracted me from anything academic. I carried on rowing throughout my time at Monkton, being a part of the first VIII for 3 years under David Conington, Julian Bewick and Gordon Reay, with varied success. I like to think we often punched above our weight as a small school and boat club. I left Monkton with mixed emotions about rowing, and struggled to find a way of continuing and working full time; so rowing had to be sacrificed until about 18 months ago.
After craving for a while to be back in a boatI got in contact with JMB, my J16 and 1st VIII coach, and with his guidance and a lot of hard training I managed to get a chance to train at Leander Club which was a great experience - rowing and training with people I had intently watched each year at the World Championships and Olympic Games. Although it was a great experience, I was neither mentally nor physically mature enough to take on such a massive full time commitment. It became clear to me that university would be a logical step to take, so I could row and get vital qualifications at the same time. Cutting a long story short I went to UWE (University of West of England) which had just that year reached a Henley final and won double gold at the home countries competition. I went in with boundless enthusiasm, and with help from very experienced coaches who advanced my rowing two-fold. The year flew by; it was a strange feeling going from punching above ones weight to being expected to perform and produce results. I had some great times at UWE this year, winning Varsity in front of thousands of people, being able to train in Seville and Belgium and many other great locations and events, finishing off the year rowing at Henley in a top event competing against ex-Olympians and World Championship rowers. Continual travelling and 14 training sessions a week took a big toll on me: without the help and support of the Bluefriars trust and the contacts I made through Monkton it wouldn't have been possible. My intentions for the future are to break into the national squad in the next couple of years. With great contacts and hard work this could become a reality; a Henley medal along the way wouldn't go amiss either! For everyone considering rowing I would greatly recommend it. It doesn't have to be a full time commitment, as the social side for some is at least as rewarding as the competition. The people one meets and the focus that rowing enables are invaluable; you will go through thick and thin with crew-mates and make friendships for life.
Greg Flower
Greg Flower rowed in the 1st VIII in 2003, 2004 and 2005.