For most teenagers, June and July bring a total focus on academia. For the Junior crews racing at the world’s most prestigious Regatta, it means finding the right balance between performance on the water and in the exam hall.
For most sixth formers, the months of June and July mean exam timetables, revision hours and a long wait for results day.
However, for the Lady Eleanor Holles School (Hampton, London) girls racing in this year's The Prince Philip Challenge Trophy, it has also meant early wake-ups, race plans and earning a spot at this year’s Henley Royal Regatta. Achieving a balance of success in both is no easy endeavour, but this crew has quietly mastered it.
“We have established a new rule where there is a complete ban on any exam talk in the boathouse,” explains Hanna Kelly, Captain of Boats. “Having a place where we can switch off entirely from exam stress feels amazing”.
This compartmentalisation, the girls agree, has become one of the most important tools in their survival kit of balancing academic and sporting pressures: “exam stress is separate to rowing stress”.
“There were people we’d never met, all in our red and white stripes, all there for us."
“Our coaches have been running multiple session times a day or flexed timings to make it as easy as possible for us,” says Lia Hermelink on how the crew cope with experiencing both heavy exam and revision loads.
If there are fewer sessions on the water because of it, each one counts for more. Hanna says: “We give 100% attention and focus. In those moments, all that matters is the boat and crew.” For a few hours, at least, rowing becomes a welcome switch-off.
A lesson that stroke seat Madeline Clarke has learnt is the importance of fueling and hydration when she faces an exam hall and a start line in the same week. “Taking 4 A-Levels, I have learnt to understand first-hand how important it is to take care of yourself to avoid burnout”.
For Jamie Kirkwood, who has coached this crew to a commendable place throughout the year, the incentive and excitement of coaching juniors at an event like Henley Royal Regatta is what makes the job so satisfying. He has been involved with the Regatta, both rowing and coaching for 18 years now, and describes being able to help the crew navigate themselves through the racing amidst A-Levels as a “fun and exciting challenge”.
For the crew, too, it’s an incredibly exciting experience. “I’m sharing a boat tent with rowers I’ve only ever seen on Instagram!” says Lia. World Champions, Olympians and the rowers whose footage they have followed and marvelled at are suddenly standing right beside them in the boat tent.
It is, by their own admission: “surreal”.
Just as striking has been the alumni presence for the Lady Eleanor Holles Boat Cub - friendly faces in university and club crews shows where it all could lead for each athlete in this Junior eight. In their first race of The Prince Philip Challenge Trophy on Wednesday, the extent of the alumni presence started to come into focus - unfamiliar faces in familiar blazers.
“There were people we’d never met, all in our red and white stripes, all there for us,” adds Madeline.
After months of switching between textbooks and erg screens, what this junior crew is most looking forward to as the Regatta continues has nothing to do with the course or /500m split times. It’s the clap out - the ritual of a send off as crews emerge from the infamous blue and white striped tents. Masses gather on the lawn by the pontoons, a blur of colours congregating outside each entrance. Shouts, cheers and banging of bin lids fill the air and they are all there to cheer crews down to the water. “You’re sitting on this hill of support; parents, friends, coaches and the clap out just adds another layer to it,” says Lia.
“It’s just a Henley thing”.
For a crew that has spent the later months of this season learning to hold racing and revision in the same hand, it’s a moment where it all comes together and nothing else needs separating.
