Date of birth: 29/06/1992

Height: 6’ 2”

Weight: 83 kg

Eyes: Blue                   

Hair colour: Brown

Rowing stats and personal bests
2k: 6:31
5k: 17:28
30min R20: 1:48.6 (8287m rowed in 30mins at rate 20)

Do you have a nickname?
Dabble or Dabs

What’s your star sign?
Cancer

And your home town?
Bath, which is famous for its bath.

What are you studying at Warwick University?
BSc Accounting & Finance, MSc Computer Science

What made you choose rowing?
I went to a taster session where one of the senior women complimented me on my strength and said I would make a great rower. Turns out they said that to everyone as part of their recruitment strategy!

What’s the best thing/worst thing about rowing?
The best is the glorious moment when the boat is going so well it feels like you’re flying. Worst is the time it consumes chasing that feeling.

How many Warwick Calendars have you appeared in?
The 2015 calendar was my third.

What has been the most surprising/scariest/flattering thing about the calendar?
The reaction from our supporters, and how much it means to them. It’s surprising the level of support, and it’s scary because what we’ve done shouldn’t be that special – more people should be doing it.

What other sport do you like watching and/or playing?
I don’t watch that much sport but I used to play rugby, and support Bath rugby. In the recent international England V Wales, Bath players scored 21 out of 21 points!

Favourite food?
You can’t beat a good British curry. Chicken Saag or Madras.

Person you would most like to have dinner with?
David Starkey and Mehdi Hassan (Political editor of huffington post).

When you’re not in a boat, what would be your dream mode of transport?
Teleportation.

Where would you most like to go in the world?
If I could go anywhere in the world, it would be bottom of the Pacific Ocean, there has to be something down there..

What’s your pet hate?
People confusing tea towels with dishcloths.

Do you have a secret ambition?
To write a fantasy or sci-fi novel, inspired by my aforementioned visit to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

What do you plan to do when you leave Warwick University?
Work in London as a software developer.

And, please don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter – we want you to be part of the story!

The University of Warwick Boat Club (UWBC, basically takes part in two types of races; regattas and head racing. In regattas, teams row side by side over a short distance of 2 km, whereas head races are time trials over 4 to 7 km. During February 2015, the club took part in the Worcester, Peterborough and Henley head races. Various club members have written up reports from these events for the Club’s official site http://warwickrowing.org and we thought you’d like to hear about how the money you help us raise for our sport is helping us improve our ranking in university rowing. We’ve tried to keep these as jargon-free as possible, but if you’re puzzled by any of the terms, send us a comment and we’ll get a rower to answer you. The Boys

Worcester – Head of the Severn – a Novice Man’s Perspective

By James

On 1st February at 7am, 20 novice men accompanied by three coxes departed to participate in their first ever race. When dawn finally rose and the winter dew had evaporated, we arrived at Worcester rowing club. We pulled into a deserted car park, where we were met by a bitter wind. Nevertheless, we got on with rigging our boats armed with only a few tools between the five novice boats. The Resi (Resolute is a boat used by the novice men) was up to its old tricks with the ‘big boy’ No. 7 seat missing the lower foot stretcher strip and the No. 4 seat’s sliders had been decimated.

A race against the clock started as 10:45am came round and we hadn’t been checked over yet. Regardless of this fact, we shouldered our trusty boat and headed off to the landing stage.

When we got there, we were met by an unstoppable torrent of brown water! We saw the novice IV had already braved the stream, but had made very little progress.

The two VIIIs set off briskly, after being informed by a marshall that we needed to head up river as soon as possible because we were late for the race. Paddling upstream was a struggle, but once we got there we felt we’d achieved something because at the resi training camps only five weeks beforehand, we probably couldn’t have managed it. When we got there, we removed our warm layers and prepared to smash the race.

Pushing off proved a huge problem, so we lost time on our run up to the start line. Unfazed by this, we pushed hard and got the boat speed up for the whistle. A minor hiccup occurred when No. 4’s footplate came loose and we had to row as Sixes while it was fixed. The rest of the race was good and although we could have used a bit more power, we were impressed with our technique and speed of the race overall.

The results of the time trial supported what we thought. Warwick’s novice first VIII came a heroic second to the Birmingham University team. .

The second VIII destroyed the course to win fifth place, ahead of Birmingham’s second VIII by a cool 0.052 seconds, which some say was down to the No. 7 man’s huge calves.

Worcester – Head of the Severn – The Women’s View 

By Megan

On 1st February the novice rowing squad discovered two things: the fun of head racing and how pathetic radio is on Sunday mornings. We also discovered just how cold it can be when you’re involved in an outdoor sport, because when we arrived at Worcester we had to rig the boats in the freezing wind that was also creating chaos on the water.

We enjoyed their first experience of marshalling, which is where you get all the boats on the water in the right number order, starting with Number 1. After a few tweaks and scrabbling around for a hatch cap, which is important safety device, the Warwick novices were allowed on the water.

The second VIII mad it onto the water without a hitch and elegantly paddled up the river to the start point. The first VIII were not as successful and after a small shower in the river, a run in with the bank and expert avoidance of the Novice Men’s IV, they were off up the river: until a footplate came loose. Fifteen minutes later we were all OK to go thanks to the help of a safety boat. Luckily, we made it to the start in time and successfully found some of the bank to hold on to. The joy of being the last crew up meant we didn’t have to wait as long to get started.

Meanwhile, the second VIII discovered that the hanging around part can be a bit hazardous at times, but our coxes ensured we all made it to the start. This was a major achievement given that a men’s ‘four’ decided it would rather crash and chat up members of the women’s boat than actually take part in the race.

But first we cheered on our men’s teams. Then we were up. Our race felt like it was over in no time, partly because the strong stream helped us. The second VIII also finished with a good time, despite a few pesky crabs a hundred metres from the line.

All girls got off the water extremely excited to have completed their first race and had to be strongly encouraged to get the boats off the water instead of just chatting about it for the next hour. As a squad we discovered that food and warmth are both good motivators for de-rigging, and we achieved what must be our quickest de-rig to date. Bring on Peterborough!!

This a collective report by Nathan, Gabriel and Josie. It starts on yet another bitterly cold day – you’ll probably have gathered from our first report from Worcester that a lot of rowing takes place in adverse weather conditions until the British summer arrives. But we still love it! Thanks to the rowers who have written these accounts – we have a record of these days to look back on in the future. The Boys

The Triumphant Seniors

The day started at a very bleak and cold 5am and when we arrived at Peterborough, it was still very grey. With just the flatlands stretching for miles and a couple of concrete bridges to pass under, we certainly weren’t there for the scenery but to smash out some results and build on the positive start of our second term.

Our coxed four of Nat, Cyril, Christian, Nathan and Ryan won the 2.5km race despite Nathan being ill for the last week or so and on serious medication. In fact, they were only a few seconds away from winning the whole division. After Cyril and Christian had wolfed down packed lunches made with “extra love and including an inspirational note,” the two of them jumped into a boat and took off at speed to win the men’s pair, and then Scotty B won third place in the singles.

Then the senior eight turned up: that’s Paddy, Chris, Gus, Shanly, Adam, Reimund Scott and Ryan (who’s in great shape if you haven’t heard) plus cox Emily. Ryan stepped in to help semi-crippled Ollie, and Scott replaced Tristan who had a commitment on Tinder, according to the press release from his modeling agency. They guys consistently gave it their all over the 4.7km course and came in a very respectable second. All in all, it was a good day for the senior guys!

Some of our winning Senior men’s rowers are in our calendars and films if you’d like to take a look!

Here’s a photo of some winning rowers! Thanks Warwick Rowing Club for the photo: 

 The Novice Men Hit a Rocky Spot

The 5am start was a bit of a shock, but the party pop anthems playing on the minibus helped mellow us out a bit. The lake was frozen over in Peterborough when we arrived, just to give you an idea of how cold it was, so we went about trying to make sure we looked hot enough for some new photos for our Facebook profiles.

Jack, James, Tiago, Gabriel, Lucas, Tom, Zach and Stan made up the novice men’s first eight, and our cox is Ralph. We got off to a pretty fast and aggressive start, and managed to keep a consistent, balanced rhythm that surprised everyone. However, because we are novices, this suave start didn’t last too long, and we hit a rocky spot that produced some motivational swearing and a bit of wobbling. But, wobble over, we went on to win second place! The second eight and the third IV also had good results on the day. To sum or efforts up in one word – progress. A special mention must go to Zach’s parents who brought a truckload of donuts to the boathouse for our post-race celebration.

The Novice Women Borrow a Boat

The girls piled into the minibus, a little bewildered by the time of morning, but excellent DJing on the bus by Sophie and Olivia made the trip pass quickly, even if Catherine, the driver, doesn’t agree. We didn’t get the boats rigged as smoothly as we’d like, especially as we had to scavenge around for some bolts to hold the boat together. Because of this ‘issue’ we had to use the Senior’s Hudson 8 boat, rather than our Eton. They weren’t too happy and went ‘parental’ over the boat, while we were buzzing with excitement about being allowed to row in such a quality craft. We paddled up to the start of the race without any mishaps and were careful not to let anything else within a mile of the Senior men’s beloved boat.

Then we were off and things were going well. Sophie was an excellent cox on the day and we finished in style. We rowed back and landed the boat like pros, which was just as well because the Senior men were all watching us. We got the boat off the water, with the help of the Senior men, and returned it to their safekeeping. We don’t think we’ve ever had so much attention from the Senior men, and we doubt it will happen again – unless we take their boat. But, it was a great day – we can’t wait for more!

Adam has written an account of the Senior men’s recent outing to Henley. This is a special place for British rowing and we always look forward to the Henley Regatta in summer when all the rowing clubs turn up wearing their club blazers, and non-rowers arrive to enjoy wandering up and down the riverbanks in this beautiful part of England – and to drink Pimms! When summer comes, we’ll take you to Henley with us- virtually at least. Here’s a photo from 2014 that will give you an idea of what Henley is like! The Boys

Fresh from a week of strenuous training, and some pretty good results at Peterborough (see Nene report) we arrived at picturesque Henley, England’s ‘must visit’ spot for serious rowing. The race was on Valentine’s Day, but anyone who was spoken for had to put their relationships on the back burner for the day.

We arrived at 9am—a pretty late start for us—and our hopes were high, by contrast with the low February temperatures. However, calamity struck when Jack and Paddy with the trailer carrying the boats got stuck in a 40+ car pile up and were stuck on the M40 for over an hour. The ‘4’ team were in a quandary as it became clear their boat wasn’t going to arrive in time.

However, as somebody once said –and a lot of people repeated it—“cometh the hour, cometh the man”: the Senior men’s coach OJ turned to the revered and historic Leander Club, which gallantly lent us a boat and oars. Cyril, Christian, Nathan and Ryan, plus cox Nat, were unfazed by this change in rowing apparatus, and with the help of the Leander Club’s pink blades they won the Senior category in the fastest time for a ‘4’ crew on the day. To top it off, they won another race and beat some very competitive crews.

However, it wasn’t all sunshine for the Warwick guys. The ‘8’ crew only managed to finish seventh, although to be fair they were competing in a higher division than usual and were up against the tough crews from Oxford Brookes and Nephthys. But, we learnt a lot and we’re looking forward to upcoming challenges.

Some of our winning Senior men’s rowers are in our calendars and films if you’d like to take a look!

Calendar boy Tristan—who claims the front seat by the door because he’s got the “biggest leg press” in the Warwick Club squad –takes you on a ride with us in our trusty minibus. We wouldn’t get anywhere without it, and it plays almost as big a role in our lives as our boats and The Boathouse. It also plays a major role in rousing our team spirit; early morning banter helps compensate for the fact most other students are still lying in bed! The music we listen to on the bus is also a big part of our minibus experience, so Tristan has added a guide to our Top 10 tunes and why we love them. Join in and listen along with us! The Boys

It’s too early to stay awake all the way to the Boathouse!

When the University of Warwick boat club was established in 1967, founding member Godfrey Bishop looked far and wide for a stretch of river to accommodate a rowing club. Unfortunately for him, and many UWBC members since, the closest appropriate stretch of water was a 20-minute drive from campus. However, over the years the time spent in the minibus going to and from both training and racing has become a big part of the spirit of UWBC. The Warwick Rower’s minibus is a sacred vehicle and a rower’s best friend; it provides warmth in the winter and shade in the summer. Moreover, a phenomenon known only as “minibus adrenaline” is a lifesaver on early morning outings, as the melting pot of banter provides all the morning pick-up needed to get us going. However, there are certain minibus rules that must be maintained:

• Postgrads up top: This is a rule religiously enforced by Paddy, who claims that only postgrad students have earned the right to sit in the front seats of the minibus (aka ‘the cock-pit’). These coveted seats have additional leg room, surround sound and control over the tunes. The younger members of the club allow this rule as we’re conscious of the back problems suffered by the postgrads in their old age, and realise that the stiff back seats will only aggravate this further.
• Biggest leg press gets the front single seat by the door- Of all seats in the ‘peasant’ section of the minibus (i.e. any seats that aren’t in the cockpit), this is the best. It has plentiful legroom, and you don’t have to sit next to anyone, which is great in a bus full of sweaty rowers. In order to earn this seat you need to have the biggest leg-press, as you will need to be strong enough to close the forever jamming side door. I have held this seat for the past two years and am in no rush to let it go.
• If the banter is bad sit at the back- There are some days- generally post lash – (“going out on the lash” is a popular English term for drinking somewhat excessively) – when the banter is poor due to fatigue or hangovers. The protocol for days like this is to sit away from the chat and listen to your iPod.
• Don’t let Ryan hold CD cases- Ryan’s spontaneity is a trait that is both incredibly amusing and frustrating. The latter was more applicable when he decided to throw the CD case to Justin Timberlake’s album “Justified” (our favourite CD of all time), out of the minibus window whilst cruising down the M40 (this is a well known English motorway). We’ve still not forgiven him; I doubt we ever will…
• Coxes on the window seats- As a squad with an average height of 6’2’’, leg room is a huge problem. Hence it is an unspoken rule that the (shorter) coxes sit near the window, leaving room for rowers to have their legs drift into the aisle.

Now we’re awake and looking livelier!

Obviously no bus journey is complete without a bangin’ playlist. Here’s our top 10 driving tunes:

1. Anything by Sean Paul- Our obsession with Sean Paul is so extreme that we’ve nicknamed one of our boats Sean D’ Paul. (It’s actually named after someone else called Paul, but their surname has since come off and so we like to assume the link to the Jamaican legend).
2. Shania Twain- That don’t impress me much – This was our team song last year for reasons that are too complex to explain in words.
3. You and Me (Flume remix) – Disclosure- The perfect psych up song before an erg test or race.
4. Theme from ‘Bad Boys’- A previous senior men’s captain drove around a field on training camp for hours on end until everyone in the bus had individually sung the whole of this song. Discipline is essential in rowing.
5. Row, Row, Row your boat (trad.)- We don’t actually listen to this, I just like encouraging stereotypes.
6. UB40, Tom Jones, or Santana- These are specifically for Cyril. Growing up in Switzerland, Cyril has been sheltered from modern culture, with Tchaikovsky winning ‘best upcoming artist’ at this year’s Swiss music awards. For this reason UB40, Tom Jones and Santana are- as Cyril would say- ‘Funky fresh’ in Switzerland. Unfortunately as he’s captain we can’t do anything about this.
7. Justin Timberlake- Justified- This is the modern day “Sgt.Pepper” or “The Dark Side of the Moon”, a truly ground-breaking piece of artistry. We know all the words, all the squeals, all the dance moves, and one of our rowers even styles himself like Justin….but then why wouldn’t you?
8. Roxanne- The Police- As Sting is a Warwick alumni it felt fitting to include a Police track on this list.
9. Ellie Golding- ‘Goodness gracious (chain smokers remix) – On a long a boring drive home from Henley, we listened to this song 26 times in a row, analysing the deeper, hidden meaning of the song. We fascinatingly worked out that it is in fact an anti-war song, about an arms dealer called Itov, who she can’t stop calling to buy guns. (Listen to the song and see if you can work it out…on the 26^th listen of a song you get a bit crazy).
10. Tim Westwood’s Hip-Hop Bangers- There’s a poster of Westwood in our changing room in which he’s seen angrily throwing a car at a motorway. Just because.

Yes, the Warwick Rowers are cool – or we’re hiding our bleary eyes!

Cyril, Paddy, Ryan and Tristan all feature in our calendar, cards and film downloads here. If you were on a minibus journey with them, what tracks would you play?

Name: Lee

Nickname: Big Deal, Señor Watts, Swolebraham Lincoln, Fidel Lashtro

Date of Birth: 20/03/93

Height: 194cm

Weight: 91.7kgs

Eye colour: Brown     

Hair colour: Light Brown

Rowing stats – personal bests:

2km: 6 minutes 4 seconds

5km: 16 minutes 20 Seconds

30 min: 1.42.3 = 8800m in 30 minutes at 20 strokes per minute

Star sign: Pisces

Home town: Fleet, Hampshire

Studied: Economics and achieved First Class honours

What made you choose rowing?
The then Senior Men’s Captain, who is now one of my best friends, recruited me on my first day of university. I had all the necessary physiological characteristics and the mental attributes necessary to succeed in the sport – plus the constant competition excited me.

What’s the best thing/worst thing about rowing?
The crew – the crew is everything in rowing and without them you’re nothing. You train, eat, sleep, study, party, and anything else you can think of, with the guys in your boat. They’re the ones that get you through the dark days, and believe me there are plenty of those.

The worst/hardest thing about rowing is getting the balance right and switching off. As a student on a high performance training plan, it’s important that once you step out of the boat and hit the books you’re fully focused on your studies.

How many Warwick Rowers calendars have you appeared in?
I’ve been in the last three calendars – 2013, 2014 and 2015 – plus I was the centrefold for the 2013 Calendar.

What has been the most surprising/scariest/flattering thing about the calendar?
The most surprising and flattering things have been the fantastic reception we have received worldwide. Our story is touching people from every corner of the globe, so it is nice to know we are really making a difference.

The scariest thing is knowing how many people are affected by homophobia in sport. But that’s why we’re here: to stamp that out once and for all!

What other sport do you like watching and/or playing?
I enjoy playing almost any sport to be honest. I’m a very active and high functioning person so I’d take running around over sitting on the couch any day! In the past, I was school football and basketball captain and I’m a Manchester United supporter.

Favourite food?
I love fish of all sorts. It’s so light, tasty, delicate and full of nutrients.

Person you would most like to have dinner with?
There are two people I’d love to have dinner with and I really cannot choose between. Steven Hawking: the man who has defied all odds and probably knows more about the world we live in than anybody else. The second would be Sir David Attenborough. I love his documentaries and if I could have any job in the world it would be his.

When you’re not in a boat what would be your dream mode of transport?
I’m always in the boat. A droptop Rolls wouldn’t go amiss though!

Where would you most like to go in the world?
I would love to travel to the most beautiful rivers in the world and row my single scull up and down them on a lovely, sunny day. You could be completely at peace with yourself and the world.  

What’s your pet hate?
Selfish people who only ever put themselves first. They’re weak and don’t step out of their comfort zone. You can never rely on them and they are the first ones to stop trying when the going gets tough.

Do you have a secret ambition?
I do, but it’s a bit too cheeky to write on here

What do you plan to do when you leave Warwick University?
As I graduated in Summer 2014, I am currently pursuing rowing full time at Molesey Boat Club (on the Surrey side of the river Thames). This year I have trialled for the GB squad and climbed the ranks at Molesey to produce the top scores in the club on the rowing machine, and I made ‘top boat’ for the Head of The River Race. My aim for the rest of this year is to win Henley. Next year, I hope to do a Masters at Oxford and row in the Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race. After that I want to attempt to break into the GB squad with a view to going to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Lee is a former Warwick Rower – he graduated with a first class honours degree and is rowing full time this year before he goes to Oxford for postgrad studies. Lee has been in three of our calendars and is a steadfast supporter of the Club, the Calendar and the Sport Allies cause.

He’s doing some pretty exciting things in rowing, so we were delighted when he suggested sharing his story here. Warwick University has already produced one Olympic rower in Tom  Solesbury and it’s especially exciting for us to think that our team mate Lee might be the second – and you saw him first in the calendar and films! The Boys

Hi,

I’m Lee and I was the Senior Men’s Captain at Warwick last year. I’ve now graduated from Warwick and I’m pursuing my rowing career as a full time athlete at Molesey Boat Club, with the aim of representing Great Britain at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. This is some of my rowing story:

I signed up for rowing, along with a whole host of other clubs and societies, on my first day at university in October 2011. The Senior Men’s Captain recruited me and I was attracted by the nature of the sport, so I thought that I would give it a try. Unfortunately, I broke my wrist during some slightly intoxicated shenanigans during freshers fortnight (classic student behaviour!) so couldn’t start training properly until after Christmas.

Training delayed by student shenanigans!

When I started full time training in January 2012, the Novice Men’s Captain warned me that he thought I was too far behind in training and wouldn’t be able to catch up. Seven weeks later I was pulling some of the biggest erg scores in the whole club and had been promoted to the senior squad – – so two fingers to him! That’s kind of my nature: if you tell me something cannot be done, take a ticket and stand in line while I prove you wrong.

The Big Lad rowing!

I progressed through the rowing ranks in Warwick after that in much the usual way until my third and final year of university, when I was elected Senior Men’s Captain. This is where I feel I made my biggest contribution to the club: first, we were the fastest crew that Warwick has ever had, breaking all the club records on the water. Second, the attitude in the men’s squad, and in the club as a whole, shifted towards a High Performance approach: as a result Warwick started delivering impressive results and wins.

Lee at Marlow Regatta 2014

Taking part in the calendar was also a fundamental part of my experience of rowing at Warwick, and it is something that you won’t get anywhere else. Making the centrefold in my first year was pretty cool too. Especially, as it was the first time that they’d done a centrefold! However, all jokes aside, without the calendar and the money it raises for the University of Warwick Boat Club, I don’t feel that our results would have improved so quickly. Unfortunately, rowing is an immensely expensive sport, so without the funds for the equipment to put you on a level playing field with your competitors, you simply don’t stand a chance.

Lee – the 2013 centrefold!

Since graduation, I have become a full time athlete at Molesey Boat Club, which is a Heavyweight Men’s High Performance Centre. (This refers to rowers who achieve specific weight, height and speed stats.) I train 2-3 times per day. 6-7 days per week and race all over the country and abroad. I am also in the trials process for the GB U23 Squad for the Summer World Championships. I have applied to Oxford – and Cambridge – to start a Masters next year with the view to rowing in the Boat Race. My ultimate goal is to break into the GB squad after the Rio 2016 Olympics and row for my country at Tokyo 2020.

Trying to break into the Team GB rowing squad for Tokyo 2020

To wrap this show up, I would just like to leave you with the message that Jurgen Grobler (GB Head Coach) gave to the GB trialists after our 2k erg test at the November 2014 trials: “You are never too old … and never too young. If you want anything enough, you can achieve your dreams.” Rowing has given me a dream in life, something that I want to achieve above all else; maybe it can do the same for you.

Thanks for reading.

Love Lee x

Novices Clym and Frankie review the rowing action at Reading University’s Head of the River competition. There were some boat troubles, but the weather was sunny for a change. The boys had an advantage today – the girls had rigged their boat for them before they arrived and they were able to lounge around on the riverbank for a while. The Boys

A beautiful day in Berkshire!

The Novice Women

With a 4.30am morning start, the novice women’s first and second eight set off to race at Reading University’s Head of the River competition. Everything looked like it should be perfect: the weather was good, the boat was in great shape and hopefully the rowing would be as well!

Alas, luck was not on the novice women’s side that day. We had technical difficulties with the Resi, so we had to race in the Simms, which is a big boat known as “the oil tanker.” It didn’t help that we were unfamiliar with it.

Things didn’t get much better once we’d boated: the cox’s race plan flew out of her hands and was lost to the unknown depths of the river below. However, this didn’t deter the girls, and they powered through the warm up and reached the head of the river in no time. They then had to wait a very long 90 minutes before starting the 4.6km race.

Then the cox’s box (the gadget that allows the cox to give the team instructions) broke and one girl’s rigger came loose, which was a nightmare for the team. Still, they didn’t give up and raced their hardest, despite not being able to hear the cox.

The first eight came 3rd overall in the competition, which was a pleasant surprise after having such bad luck all day. The second women’s eight came 7^th, a great result and only a minute behind the first team.

The girls celebrated with chocolate cake and ice cream before cheering on the novice men. All in all it was a fabulous day and the busy vibrant atmosphere surrounding the boat club also helped to make it an astonishing success!

The girls rowing their hearts out!

The Novice Men

Saturday morning was a relatively leisurely affair, with the coach trundling off in the direction of Reading at just before 10 o’clock, packed full with enough rowers to fill two VIII boats.

The sun was shining when we arrived and our day was further sweetened when we discovered that the girls had arrived ages before us and had completed the rigging of our boats before we arrived.

This left the boys with little more to do than lie on the lush grass of the Thames riverbank, don our shades and munch on some malt loaf.

Once we finally boated, we quite enjoyed a lengthy 5km paddle to the start line of the race, where we joined the mass of other boats bobbing about in a chaotic attempt to form an orderly British queue.

Both novice crews were approximately the right place and we waited for the 2pm start time. Then 2pm passed and we waited another two hours for the actual start time. During this wait we fended off accidental collisions with other crews and exchanged some hearty banter with our opponents.

Then we were off and the adrenaline began pumping. We were in the game!

The first VIII pounded their way downstream, passing crews (older rowers, admittedly) and even found time to pose for photos.

With the added support of the girls screaming from the riverbank, the boys finished in a respectable 8th place, given that we had a lot of competition.

The second VIII were close behind for at least the first kilometer, but unfortunately the crew struggled to keep up the rhythm and momentum they are capable of. At one point the crew was down to six rowing, as Will struggled to recover his blade from behind his back. Despite these problems, they put in a heroic effort and finished 16^th. Thanks are also due to our coxes for the day–Ralph and Emily –who steered some great lines and supported us all through the competition.

The boys make an heroic effort!

Please have a browse in our shop. You support helps us take part in these competitions as well as challenge homophobia in sport.

Are you one of the many women who seem to be happy to put us on the wall in a calendar, but less sure about sitting down to watch us naked on screen? We think you could be missing out! Here are two articles by two different women of different ages and experiences with two things in common – they’ve watched our films, and they love them! The Boys

When the Warwick Rowers say they’re going to make a naked documentary, they really mean it!

 We received a really warm, appreciative message from Jenna in Finland whose boyfriend had bought her our 2015 film “Some Like It Hotter.” So, we asked her if she’d share her thoughts about the film with us and our other supporters.

Hi, tell us about yourself

I’m a young woman from Finland with a passion for literature, music and men. I’m also into psychology and biology.

How did you discover the Warwick Rowers?  What was your first thought when you saw pictures?

I noticed a headline on a news website about how some rowers had made a naked calendar. Of course, at first I assumed it was a calendar made by a women’s sports team, but then I noticed the image and realised it was naked men. Even then, I was sceptical, since most naked male calendars are ‘humorous’ and not at all sexy. But, when I saw these images I was instantly blown away by the fact that they were young, handsome boys. So, I watched the film trailer and I probably didn’t blink once throughout…

Your boyfriend bought you the film as a gift? Do you think this is unusual? Do you watch it together? 

My boyfriend purchased the film as a surprise gift after I had sent him a link to the original article. This is what he has to say about it:

“My girlfriend is very sexual, and throughout our relationship, it’s become apparent to me how there’s an enormous lack in both quantity and quality regarding erotica depicting men. An average porn clip is hardly something that’s aimed at women. Gifting my girlfriend with the Warwick Rowers film didn’t require any second thought, as it’s high quality material. Her excitement makes me excited, and as such, we both certainly got excited thanks to the film.”

We are an extremely committed couple with no secrets, and he personally has no need to watch others, so my “guy watching” has become a rather special kink of ours. The Warwick Rowers film was definitely influential in developing this side of our relationship.

You say you are a straight woman who likes to look at naked men.  Do you think that is unusual?

I am as straight as they come, and I’ve always had a great fascination for male nudity and sexuality, but with some of my female friends, expressing an open interest in naked men is surprisingly taboo. People think you’re unfeminine, or even downright crazy. 

I’ve also heard a lot of women putting down the male nude, which I think has to do with the way the media treats men’s bodies. It’s often portrayed as humorous, hairy and ugly – and a man’s body is gorgeous if he looks after it.

This media attitude causes young boys and men to feel unappreciated and unattractive; they don’t see that they can be just as much a figure of desire as a woman. Also, there’s very little material showing men in a an erotic way for women to look at and I think that’s part of the reason women think it’s “taboo.”

Did you see the film after you saw the calendar, and were you surprised by the difference?

I only saw a couple of black and white pictures in the article, plus the film trailer, and had no idea there would be full-frontal nudity in the film. I was definitely happily (read: horny) surprised at getting actual nudity with close-ups and nice, body-worshipping angles.

You described the film as mind-blowing.  Why? 

Not only does it have gorgeous, naturally muscular university boys, but it also has beautiful English countryside (my second favourite thing) and an excellent music soundtrack that fits it perfectly.

You mention that it’s hard to for a straight girl to find something to look at.  What do you think the barriers are?  For example, are they that nobody creates material for women?  Or is it that women pretend they don’t want to look?

It is very hard for a heterosexual female to find material to look at that is equivalent to the erotica or porn aimed at men. Some women don’t watch (or admit to watching) this heterosexual material because it’s clearly aimed at men, and the woman–and her body–is the center of the focus.. There is definitely a lack of material, as well as women bold enough to ask for it.

Our calendar sales are 50/50 to men and women, but our film sales are mostly to men. Why do you think that is?

I think calendars don’t have full nudity so they’re seen as “slightly naughty and fun”, which is why they’re probably a popular item with women. It’s more accepted for men to watch the film.

What else have you found to look at?  How do you think the rowers film is different or unique? In particular, what do you like about the rowers film as distinct from porn?

Finding some nice male nudity to look at has always proved quite difficult. Basically, it is either gay erotica (nothing wrong with that per se) or amateur material, which sadly does not reach the rower’s film quality.

The Rowers’ film is distinct from porn is that that the material is extremely exciting without being pornographic. It fulfils the function of porn without using its style. It’s the beauty of the bodies that is erotic.

Have you shared the film with your girlfriends?  What did they think?

Regrettably, I have to say I probably don’t have female friends who would show such open interest towards men! You know that whole idea of a woman never being guided by physical, primitive emotions. I really don’t want to watch a film like “Fifty Shades of Grey,” which is what the media thinks women are into. I prefer the Warwick Rowers, and yes, women like butts too.

If you were directing our next film, what would you do differently?  

First of all, if I were directing the film, I would fail terribly because I would be way too distracted. However, I would definitely continue along the same lines. I would have plenty of close-ups and frontal nudity, since there can never be too much of that, (says someone who likes to pause the film at times to get a better look…I’d also like to see more of the interaction and chats between the boys (while naked, please) since they all seem lovely and very smart.

Our wonderful make-up artist Sadaf is the only woman who has been present throughout a Warwick Rowers calendar shoot. Now you can join her!

You can download the 2015 film “Some Like It Hotter” and our three other films in the Films and Downloads section of our shop.

All our films are in full colour. Sometimes we even add a little extra colour, just for fun.

In the second article, our supporter Elle gives us her view about the appeal of the film, and why looking at beautiful male bodies is trending among women of all ages.

Boys on Film

A few weeks ago I was invited to join a group of women for a screening of one of the Warwick Rowers calendar documentary films. These films, I now know, follow the rowers as they shoot their annual calendars, explain the mission behind the calendar and tell us about themselves. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to tell you right now that all of the women in the group adored the one we saw.

The films have mainly found an audience with men, but women are starting to catch on, which is how I came to be sitting in front of a big flat screen TV with several other women and a bottle of Veuve Cliquot.

Our ages ranged from late twenties to early sixties and, as we settled down to watch gorgeous, charming and totally naked young men horsing around in the English countryside, I got to thinking about how much things have changed.

Back in 1981, when Duran Duran were topping the charts with Girls on Film and I was a young graduate starting a career in advertising, the idea that the male body might interest anyone let alone sell a product would have been laughed out of the London ad agency where I worked. Boys on film? No thank you!

The Levi’s “Launderette” Revolution

Then, in 1985, something remarkable happened: a Levi’s ad in the UK showed the rather gorgeous Nick Kamen stripping down to his boxers in a public laundromat and chucking his jeans in the washing machine.

The ad inspired instant lust among countless women and gay men, and changed the fortunes of Levi’s jeans overnight. It also changed the attitudes of advertising agencies and their corporate clients. Now they could see the marketing potential of the male.

Calvin Klein And Marky Mark

In the early 1990s, Calvin Klein took things a step further when he put a Herb Ritts photo of Marky Mark clutching his crotch through his tight white Calvins on a sixty foot billboard in New York’s Times Square. It marked a sea change in how our culture looks at men.

Now men were in the spotlight, they quickly took a more serious approach to making themselves and their bodies more appealing to women. It’s a trend that has continued, and you can see the outcome in the super buff bods on display in the latest Warwick Rowers film.

Follow the rowers wherever they go, including this Spanish beach with a view of the Moroccan coast in the background.

Twenty-five years after Marky Mark, the Warwick Rowers film is a sign of just how much things have changed. And it’s not just that the men are better looking. Now women can look at men just as men have always looked at women. I’m not saying we look at them in the same way, because that’s a thorny question; let’s just say there’s a lot of cultural baggage… But the point is that we now have the option, and it’s not one we had before.  

The Dreaded Cougars

One thing is for sure about men looking at images of women. Whatever age they start looking, the men only get older while the women miraculously seem to stay the same age. That doesn’t seem to bother men, but should it bother us? Several women in my group were over 40, and I wondered: should we care if we’re drooling over beautiful men less than half our age?

We agreed to go with Madonna on this one. The boys are beautiful, they’re a pleasure to look at, and they have that fantastic optimism, idealism and vitality of the young. What’s not to love? We’d happily have watched the film again, and agreed we would definitely be happy giving it as a present to friends of all ages.

The Art or Porn Dilemma

And it’s quite a present to give! As someone in our group highlighted, looking at men in this way is not something we really get enough opportunity to do.

Porn is the easiest place to see naked men, but hetero porn is dull as ditchwater, and it’s no wonder there’s a growing trend in women watching gay pornography; after all, you get two men for the price of one.

I think the Warwick Rowers films will fit the bill for a lot of women. We get to meet them and to find out that they’re not just pretty faces or buff bodies; they’re three-dimensional humans with full lives, evident intelligence and an admirable commitment to their club and their cause. They are young men with whom you could enjoy an entertaining conversation over dinner. And the films allow you to see what else you might get to enjoy later…

The films have a narrative dimension that fulfills my need for a story. Compared to so-called pornography for women, the rowers’ films offer something that deserves a lot more female attention than they’ve had to date. Maybe it’s heart, maybe it’s intimacy or perhaps it’s the unprecedented backstage pass to the locker room world of male athletes. The films offer all three.

Join in all the fun we have doing the calendar…

Beautiful Boys

The Warwick Rowers’ films – and there are four now at their warwickrowers.org website – would surely have the approval of that Grande Dame of Feminism, Germaine Greer. Greer’s book “The Beautiful Boy” is her study of the “youthful male face and form” in art from antiquity to the present day. Greer’s goal was to “advance women’s reclamation of their capacity for and right to visual pleasure.”.

The Warwick Rowers have appeared at an opportune time for women, and particularly the mature woman. Older women dating younger men is trending and there’s a sense that more radical change in our social sexual milieu is imminent. Girls on film have finally been joined by boys on film, and the Warwick Rowers are at the heart of that change – watch their films and enjoy your right to look, ladies!

… and feel free to pause on your favourite moments!

You can download the 2015 film “Some Like It Hotter” and our three other films in the Films and Downloads section of our shop

Thank you for your support

As you may know, initiating and funding Sport Allies has been the Warwick Rowers’ way of saying thank you to the LGBT+ community for your fantastic support over the last few years.   Your support has enabled us to become a more competitive club at every level, for both male and female rowers, and we plan to honour that support and that commitment by continuing to make Sport Allies the sole recipient of all our charitable giving. 

It takes time to build an organization and create the tools to achieve its aims.  Sport Allies was just an idea only 18 months ago, and there is still a long way to go but, thanks to the support of everyone who has bought a calendar, a film, a t-shirt or simply promoted us on Twitter, those of us working on the Sport Allies project are making significant progress.  So thank you. We couldn’t have done it without your help.

We hope that the Sport Allies initiative will make it possible for our LGBT+ supporters, and the young people who will follow them, to one day enjoy sport free from fear of homophobia.

So, with thanks to those working at the coalface on the project, here’s an update on what Sport Allies has been working on over the last few months.

Formalising the organisation with a strong team

After a period of research, organisational development and board recruitment, the initial group of Sport Allies Board members met formally for the first time in November 2014.

The board members include Warwick University students, education experts, youth charity leaders, finance professionals and senior media figures. We will publish a list of board members with biographies once the full board has been finalised.

Research: The foundation stone of an effective response

One of the key tasks completed during our development period and prior to the first formal Board meeting was a research exercise leading to a report on homophobia in sport. This review of the literature focused on looking at evidence-based research into incidences of homophobia in sport, and how it differed between different sports and genders.

This initial review produced some very exciting results. The most surprising finding was that homophobic behaviour in the sporting arena may be based more on the notion of “difference” rather than on the sexuality of the person being bullied or excluded.  We wondered about this but, as several LGBT+ members of the Sport Allies Board as well as some of our supporters were able to confirm, they were being bullied in sport long before adolescence – it was their “otherness” that marked them out, and specifically their variation from the perceived ideals of masculinity and femininity.

It follows that it is not just the LGBT+ community that is affected by homophobia: it is anyone who doesn’t conform to a hetero-normative ideal of how genders should behave. Even those who are apparently best-adapted to survival in a hetero-normative culture may be shutting down a key part of themselves to preserve their status. It is a “boys shouldn’t be ballet dancers and girls shouldn’t play rugby” culture, and it limits us all.  Two of the rowers touched on this in a conversation in our 2015 documentary film.

We also know from the research that participation in team sports is far less likely among LGBT+ people, which is why the majority of known gay sport stars are typically found in sports like running, swimming and equestrianism.

Sport Allies motivation and aims

“Sport is really where you make a lot of your friends and learn a lot about yourself and develop a lot of you social skills as well. And for anyone to be excluded from that because of who they are is just plain wrong.” Laurence Hulse, Rower

Sport Allies is important because when people have a good experience of sport, it enhances their lives beyond simply being fit. As many of us have said, being part of a sports club and working as a team has given us life skills and brought us friendships that have given us a fantastic start to our adult lives.

Unfortunately, sport has not kept up with the rest of society, where ‘difference’ is more widely accepted. There is an innate conservatism attached to sport as entertainment and this reinforces hetero normative values in sport and among its audience.

After a thorough review of the evidence, the board has decided that Sport Allies will focus its attention on team sports because this is where “gender policing” is most rampant and where homophobia causes the most damage to LGBT+ people.

The meeting noted that: “the fact that team sports are often felt to be ‘off limits’to LGBT+ people results in them being excluded from one of the key cohesive team experiences. It is not acceptable that anyone is openly excluded from what is a “major shared cultural arena” as well as a key pathway to personal growth.”

This fundamental block to the life chances of young LGBT+ people is what Sport Allies wants to tackle.

Next Steps

A group of Board members have recently met to consider Sport Allies’ draft mission and vision statements, and to set out key strategic objectives for achieving these goals. We look forward to bringing you a further update once the strategy has been agreed by the Board.

Name: Clym

Date of Birth:

8 September 1996

Height:

6’3”

Weight:

85kg

Eye colour:

Medium Blizzard Blue

Hair colour:

Bronde

Rowing stats:

The only novice to have achieved precisely 0% improvement in the first two terms of training, according to statistical analysis. #bareminimum

Star sign:

Virgo

Home town:

The Shire, Devon

Studying what?

Economics

What made you choose rowing?

Attractive girls kept singling me out from amidst my less vertically-endowed companions during Freshers’ week recruitment. Next thing I know, I’m killing myself in a 4-minute test… Seriously, I’m not sure how they did that.

What’s the best thing/worst thing about rowing?

Reaching the final strokes of a 2km test simultaneously combines overwhelming agony and pure, total relief at the imminent cessation of that agony.

How many Warwick Rowers calendars have you appeared in?

You’re looking at my first.

What has been the most surprising/scariest/flattering thing about the calendar?

Johnson was certainly the most surprising – although perhaps not so flattering!

What other sport do you like watching and/or playing? Do you support any football/rugby teams?

I have little to no respect for footballers and I’m always scared for the integrity of rugby players’ facial features.

Favourite food?

Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough

Person you would most like to have dinner with?

My girlfriend. (Awwwww)

When you’re not in a boat what would be your dream mode of transport?

As is usual for a baller, I love to fly. Nothing beats a helicopter. Did you know they can land even if the engine turns off?

Where would you most like to go in the world?

Until three weeks ago I’d have said the USA. Since I’m writing this in San Francisco midway through my giant road trip that desire can be considered satiated. How about the rim of an Icelandic volcano next?

What’s your pet hate?

Lazy grammar and bad spelling.

What do you plan to do when you leave Warwick University?

Become an astronaut and be among the first to visit a foreign planet, like Mark Watney in “The Martian”. Failing that I may join a major banking firm in the City of London.

To see more of Clym’s “Blue Blizzard” look check out our New for 2016 Products. And, if you’re looking for a Christmas gift, we now have Gift Certificates in denominations of 10, 20, 50 and 100 in $/£/€!

Here’s another shoot diary and this time it’s Clym. Yes, he’s the guy with the “Blue Blizzard” gaze who might drop by in a helicopter or meet you near some Icelandic volcano. Refresh your memory of Clym’s profile here.

Clym’s Diary

Before the Shoot

How are you feeling? Are you nervous, or excited?

I’m looking forward to tomorrow, it should be fun and I’m pretty sure any initial awkwardness will quickly fade. I’ve heard the shoot is great fun and the weather looks to be perfect. I’ve heard rumours of all sorts of mysterious packages arriving with props for the next few days… I wonder what Angus is planning?

Is this your first shoot?

Yes, I’m a first year at Warwick so this is my first chance to partake.

What are your concerns?

Really regretting my post-exam slump. Starting to think that I put off going to the gym in favour of a lazy night too many times in the last couple of weeks! My gainz were more evident a few weeks ago.

Have you talked to friends/family/other Club members about taking part? What reactions have you had?

Everyone thinks the calendar is great, especially when I’ve explained the cause. I’m amazed how many people have heard of it – it tends to be the first thing I’m asked about when I mention I row at Warwick. My flatmates think it’s hilarious.

People ask,”You’re at Warwick University? Oh, are you one of those naked rowers?”

Have you spent time in the gym toning up for this? How long have you spent roughly preparing? What else have you done to your image? Hair cut? Face shave? Anything else?

I’ve been using the gym several times a week for at least the last three years, even before I began rowing; aside from a slight shift in bias to the all important chest and arms in the past few days, there hasn’t been much change in my training. I had a short and sharp trim from a Birmingham barber about a week ago – I wouldn’t want an unruly lid spoiling Angus’ pretty photos.

I’m keeping “Blue Blizzard” behind glasses until the shoot begins for real!

What are your main reasons for agreeing to take part in the calendar shoot?

I’ve gained so much from being part of the rowing club this year. I feel a responsibility to ensure that students are able to enjoy the same experience in the years to come. The funds raised by the calendar are crucial to our ongoing ability to train and operate as a club. There is, of course, also the charity aspect and that continues the idea of ensuring ability for involvement. Sport Allies works to remove barriers to participation in sports like my own, so it’s a cause that I fully support. I consider getting naked an insignificant sacrifice to make considering the benefit it has to a much larger group of people.

Day 1 First day of the shoot

What happened at the beginning of the day?

The day started early with a fully clothed gym session with the rest of the boys. We made all the last minute gainz we could before heading off in the minibus to the boathouse to meet Angus and Damien. Sadaf was on hand too, to apply various mysterious powders transforming us into flawlessly perfect, photo-ready rowers.

Moving a boat when you’re naked requires some co-ordinated teamwork!

Was it easier/harder to get naked than you thought? What helped break the ice?

During the “any questions” section of Angus’ introductory speech Tristan joked “when do we get naked?” Perhaps predictably the response was “no time like the present”. So, sheepishly we began to disrobe and before we knew it there were willies dangling left, right and centre. I think the sudden surprise of the situation helped to avoid any awkwardness since it was over so quickly and there was no time to build up nerves.

What was the most surprising thing about the first day?

I was surprised by how long everything took. Angus is a perfectionist, and takes his time setting up each shot flawlessly. I hadn’t considered before how difficult it is to arrange a group of naked guys so that each sensitive area is covered from view.

Any funny incidents?

Our Club President, Gus was at the boathouse helping out with the shoot. He was often the only rower fully clothed and behind the camera it was obvious he didn’t quite know where to look. I’m sure he’s become quite familiar with the squad at this point.

His delight in operating the cherry picker was clear. He couldn’t keep the grin off his face as he pointlessly ascended and descended over the boathouse between shots, much to our amusement.

Gus brought a rugby ball – who knows why!!! We’re the Warwick Rowers!

Day 2 Second Day of Shoot

Was it easier to get started today?

I was so tired after the first day I was asleep by 9pm and felt well rested waking up this morning. Unfortunately I was too comfy under the covers in bed to make another early morning gym trip, so it was a more leisurely start to the day.

What do you do between shots?

Today we were shooting at Sherbourne Manor, which was a very civilised experience. The rowers discovered the delight of naked croquet. Many a mallet was swung while we waited for the next shooting opportunity. It’s fair to say some experienced greater success than others; maybe rowers lack the tactical foresight required in this sport!

Clym and Alex take a moment’s rest from swinging their mallets!

Are you having fun? Who is the joker who makes everyone laugh?

It’s been great fun being with the guys, we all get on so well and bounce off each other constantly. Angus’ inputs have been hilarious – I think his sense of humour might be dirtier than our own! It’s great that he gets on well with the group, and it helps with the shooting process.

Taking the plunge naked – because Sport Allies is worth it!

Experience more of Clym in the 2016 England film and in our lovely coffee table book, as well as the calendar in our shop. He’s the rower with the “Blue Blizzard” eyes – make sure you get a good look at them!

Name: Cameron

Nickname?

Not very exciting I’m afraid… Cam. Suggestions are welcomed.

Date of Birth?

21 November 1994

Height:           

1.89m -let’s just call it 6ft3”    

Weight:

80kg

Eye colour:

Blue                       

Hair colour:

Dark Brown

Rowing stats – personal bests?

My first and only 2K test last year was under 7 minutes… just! It took me a while to come back from injuries in Term 1 this year, but I’ll be setting plenty of Personal Bests in the coming months!

Star sign:

Scorpio. Not something I normally take any notice of but I just looked it up and apparently my element is water. That’s got to be a good thing!

Home town:

Currently I live in Cheltenham, but I was born in Edinburgh and that’s what counts. After all, you can take the boy out of Scotland but you can’t take Scotland out of the boy!

Studying what?

Half way through a four year Maths and Physics degree. I often wonder how and why…

What made you choose rowing?

It’s completely different to any of the sports I have done previously. It’s a huge mental and physical challenge and great way to keep fit. Before coming to university lots of people felt the need to tell me, “You’re tall, you should have a go at rowing.” I regretted not trying out in my first year and got hooked from the very start of second year.

What’s the best thing/worst thing about rowing?

Lack of sleep is an issue but I hated falling behind the rest of the squad while I was injured and unable to train fully. The “stash” (any form of kit with UWBC on it) is great, but the feeling when you actually win a race (even if it’s the Novice F Final at BUCS) makes up for all the hours of pain you put in to get there!

How many Warwick Rowers calendars have you appeared in?

This is my first one. Here’s hoping it’s a success!

What has been the most surprising/scariest/flattering thing about the calendar?

I didn’t realise quite how big and far reaching the calendar was until I got properly involved. It’s amazing what a difference the project is making and the potential to keep doing work for a great cause!

What other sport do you like watching and/or playing? Do you support any football/rugby teams?

I grew up playing rugby. I’m a Gloucester supporter, but Scottish rugby will always come first; they need all the support they can get!

I had a go at most sports when I was at school and like to boast about always making the first team… what I don’t add is that we often only had one team!

Favourite food?

I really like Mexican food. You just can’t beat fajitas. Quick, easy and so tasty!

Person you would most like to have dinner with?

I idolised Jonny Wilkinson growing up and would love to meet him. When I was young I applied to his TV programme ‘Jonny’s Hotshots’ on CBBC. I think I’ve still got the little video we made to showcase my nine-year-old rugby talents!

When you’re not in a boat what would be your dream mode of transport?

At the moment I still need to take (and pass!) my driving test. However, give me some good weather, a reliable bicycle and some nice countryside (without too many steep hills) and I’m happy!

Where would you most like to go in the world?

I have some family in Australia and New Zealand, but despite plenty of pestering I still haven’t managed to convince my parents to visit. The lifestyle out there sounds great and it’s a beautiful part of the world. I’m sure I’ll get there eventually!

What’s your pet hate?

With so much training I’m always hungry and hate to see any good food go to waste!

What do you plan to do when you leave Warwick University?

No idea whatsoever. Hopefully when the day comes to graduate I’ll have got a bit further with this; I’ve heard it’s kind of important.

To see more of Cam with the rest of the rowers visit our shop – there are so many exciting views to choose from!

Name: Alex

Nickname:

Han Shan Ree, Hand Shandy…The Lid           

Date of Birth:

8 October 1993

Height:           

6’4                                   

Weight:

90kg

Eye colour:

Deep blue                       

Hair colour:

Dark brown, but it changes from time to time!

Rowing stats?

Hmmm my personal best…probably finishing an erg 2k in 6:36

Star sign:

Libra

Home town:

Guildford

Studying what:

Just graduated with an engineering degree (somehow)

What made you choose rowing?

Being tall is a good rowing quality, I am tall. Simples.

What’s the best thing/worst thing about rowing?

The best thing about rowing is getting a personal best. Nothing beats that feeling of knowing you’ve done the best you ever have. The worst has to be training to get to that point.

How many Warwick Rowers calendars have you appeared in?

This is my first.

What has been the most surprising/scariest/flattering thing about the calendar?

I did a meet and greet up in London last year and hearing first hand how much it meant to people was humbling. I think that was the most surprising and flattering thing to me. I think the scariest was posing next to a tree in Spain covered in very large ants, especially with very tender areas exposed.

What other sport do you like watching and/or playing? Do you support any football/rugby teams?

I grew up as an avid athlete and rugby player.

Favourite food?

It’s found at a world-renowned restaurant called la Wheel de la Catherine. It has a special place in my heart.

Person you would most like to have dinner with?

Ali G, no reason necessary.

When you’re not in a boat what would be your dream mode of transport?

Nissan Micra, I’ve a thing for nice cars.

Where would you most like to go in the world?

Right now I’d love to go back to Vancouver where I grew up. I haven’t been back there for about 12 years now.

What’s your pet hate?

Oh no I love pets, I even have a dog.

What do you plan to do when you leave Warwick University?

I wish I knew as it’s already happened – I think I’ll go find myself.

You can see more of Alex in our 2016 England and Spain films – they’re definitely worth a look!

Name: Cian  (pronounced Kee-an)

Nickname?

C-Dawg (self-appointed… hasn’t caught on yet)           

Date of Birth?

1 September 1995

Height:           

6’4”                                   

Weight:

200lbs (I used pounds so it sounds more impressive)

Eye colour:

Blue                                               

Hair colour:

Brown

Rowing stats – personal bests?

6:29.3 2k #andwhat

Star sign:

You could definitely figure this out from my birthday. But that’s just me being a typical Virgo I guess.

Home town:

Watford

Studying what?

A BA in Economics. I already have a PhD in Bantering!

What made you choose rowing?

Someone asked me to try it out during Freshers and I’m very bad at saying no. Things have kind of snowballed since then.

What’s the best thing/worst thing about rowing?

The worst is definitely the early mornings. Tyra Banks says the most important item in your makeup bag is a good night’s sleep, but according to my coaches this doesn’t justify skipping training. The best thing is that it’s an excuse to eat as much as I want all the time, although some have accused me of taking this ‘carte blanche’ too “literally”.

How many Warwick Rowers calendars have you appeared in?

One. More to follow shortly.

What has been the most surprising/scariest/flattering thing about the calendar?

All the hoards of instagram followers I’ve received off the back of it. Some people argue three hundred isn’t strictly ‘impressive’ but then they’ve clearly never heard of a few plucky Greeks taking out a 300,000 strong Persian force. #InstaArmy

What other sport do you like watching and/or playing? Do you support any football/rugby teams?

I’m a fan of rugby and support Ireland and Leinster. Although they’ve both just had a pretty bad few months, so I’m open to new suggestions.

Favourite food?

All of it. Preferably all at once.

Person you would most like to have dinner with?

My girlfriend told me I had to say her, but any of you who have been lucky enough to stumble across my Instagram know that my heart truly belongs to Tom.

When you’re not in a boat what would be your dream mode of transport?

It’s pretty hard to beat driving about in my old Ford Ka – otherwise known as the “speedmobile”. The best part is that it’s a sky blue colour to bring out the blue of my eyes!

Where would you most like to go in the world?

Marbella. One day I’ll make it there. One day.

What’s your pet hate?

When all my ‘mates’ go on holiday without me. Probably somewhere cool like Marbella!

What do you plan to do when you leave Warwick University?

Continue with my modelling career because I can really feel it starting to take off. Just the other week someone said to me, “Oh, you go to Warwick? I’m a massive fan of their rowers’ calendar. I even know all of their names… Have you ever heard of it?”

You can see Cian and Tom, together with the rest of the lads, in our 2016 calendars and the England films.

This year we took our photo shoot and filming outside the UK  because our inspired photographer Angus Malcolm felt that this would add a new dimension to the calendar and films.  We asked the rowers who were fortunate enough to make the trip to the sunny Costa del Sol to share their experiences with us – here’s the first Spain diary from Alex.

How did you feel about being invited to the Spain shoot?
I felt extremely privileged as I know a couple of the boys were invited out there last year and so I had seen some shots of what it was like, but it didn’t even cross my mind when I decided to do the calendar this year.

Is this your first visit to Spain? First visit to Costa del Sol?

I’d been to most other countries around it, but just never been to Spain, so yeah this was my first time, which was even more exciting. Plus, I think that the Costa del Sol is one of the best places for first impressions of Spain, so I feel I was very fortunate to come here on my first visit to the country.

What did you think the area would be like?

Very hot and sunny and not much beyond that I guess.

What were your first impressions of the coast?

A little warm with some pretty dark and boring views…I arrived at night so I guess that didn’t help. But, waking up to a sensational panoramic view of the mountains and sea in insufferable heat is something I won’t forget for a while though.

Look at that view!

Where did you do your first shoot? What was that like?

The first shoot was at a gorgeous villa that looked out over the whole coast. It was the sort of place you’d only see in films and there were so many shooting locations that it ended up being a busy first day.

What other places did you visit for shoots?
We really got a lot of variety with our locations as we ended up visiting the villa, the beach, some mountains, more mountains…the bedroom.

Our Spanish guest star Fluff getting a cuddle from Tristan

Which location did you like best?
The sun lounger to top up my tan, but in terms of shooting locations I’d have to say the beach that we visited. It wasn’t technically a nude beach, so getting our kit off in front of people was definitely different.

What did you do in your free time?

Kept up to date with my social media accounts and spent time working out which hairstyle I want next. We all went out for a couple of nights as well, in the spirit of ‘work hard play hard.’

This is how we BBQ in Spain!

Is there anything you didn’t have time to do and wish you had? Any place you’d really like to visit another time?

I’m not really sure there was anything that I felt I missed out on this time round, although I think just chilling on the beach a bit more would’ve been good. I’ve always wanted to see the Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona, but it’s quite a distance from Marbella, so I’ll have to do that another time.

Shooting in Spain is a fairly new location for the calendar – what do you think it adds to the images and the enjoyment of making the calendar?

I think that we try very hard to produce a calendar every year that’s better than the previous and it’s becoming increasingly hard to create new and original content using the boathouse as a location. Spain adds so much in terms of stunning scenery for the calendar content as well as being an extremely enjoyable location for the guys to shoot in, which comes across in content like the Spain film.

Nature meets natural!

If you haven’t downloaded our Spain film yet then you can get it delivered in minutes when you go here.

Cameron’s Diary

Before the Shoot

How are you feeling? Are you nervous, or excited?

I am unsure what to expect as this is my first shoot of any kind, clothes on or off. I am quite nervous, but also looking forward to spending a few days with the close friends that I have got to know over the year and not having to worry about revision or exams, which have finally finished!

Is this your first shoot?

Yes.

What are your concerns?

I have never been fully naked in public, so I don’t know what to expect!

Have you talked to friends/family/other Club members about taking part? What reactions have you had?

I kept it quiet from my friends for a while until I had fully decided to take part. I spoke to my parents about it from the start and discussed the reasons for doing this. In the end it was fellow club members who convinced me to commit to the calendar project as there was a good group of us and it’s all for a good cause.

There’s always time for some friendly banter!

Have you spent time in the gym toning up for this? How long have you spent roughly preparing? What else have you done to your image? Hair cut? Face shave? Anything else?

Training this term has been increased anyway so I haven’t made a significant change to my routine in preparation for the calendar shoot but I definitely have been more conscious of what I eat. I had the majority of my exams the week before, which reduced training slightly. Nonetheless, I inevitably had more motivation for certain exercises in the gym than during general training.

What are your main reasons for agreeing to take part in the calendar shoot?

I had heard about the successes of previous years and thought it would be a great thing to be able to say I have been a part of. The calendar raises awareness all over the world for a great cause and is an opportunity for me to contribute toward this goal. As a member of the Warwick University Boat Club, which has such successful and well known calendars, I didn’t think I would like to miss out on taking part, especially having heard how much fun it is to shoot!

Day 1 First day of the shoot

What happened at the beginning of the day?

It was an early start for everyone in order to get down to the boathouse early and having had some short introductions it was time for the makeup. Having never worn make up in my life this was interesting in itself. Luckily it was a warm day, so keeping t-shirts off after having make up done was easy enough. I felt like a minor celebrity when I heard that our makeup artist had recently prepared Pharrell Williams for one of his shows.

Zach getting the Pharell Williams treatment!

Was it easier/harder to get naked than you thought? What helped break the ice?

We then had our first talk as a group with Angus giving us the plan for the week. The first time we got naked was unexpected, but that was probably for the best as it avoided the awkward build up to it. Angus asked if we had any questions and one reply was “when are we going to get naked?” This was duly answered with “Right now!”, and so it began. From then on it was much easier to do and we gradually became more comfortable with stripping off.

What was the most surprising thing about the first day?

I was most surprised about how quickly I got over the initial worry of being naked with everyone. Soon enough it became quite normal and the feeling of freedom was quite strange as we posed for different shots.

Any funny incidents?

The water fight shots were particularly funny as most of them descended into chaos with several people ending up in the river by the end. But, when all of us then had to jump in the river it wasn’t as funny because the water was freezing!

That water was freezing, but we were having fun!

Day 2 Second Day of Shoot

Was it easier to get started today?

Day three was shot in the grounds of a nearby manor house. This was very different to day one in terms of the location, but it still got off to a slow start with make-up. There were a few photos taken in the morning with gradually more people taking part once their makeup was finished. Some of the group had to go off at lunch time to train whilst the rest of us went off for a pub meal, which was much appreciated! This took quite a bit of time out of the day, but we knew that shooting in the middle of the day was most difficult due to the height of the sun in the sky, so this wasn’t a problem.

What do you do between shots?

I particularly enjoyed learning the proper rules of croquet as there were several lawns around the house for us to play on. It turns out that there are many more rules than you might expect and a game with all of us playing took a very long time!

What was the rule about putting the ball through the hoop?

Are you having fun? Who is the joker who makes everyone laugh?

The shoot is much more fun than I anticipated and lots of inappropriate jokes were made while we put our bodies into often unnatural positions, and really tested the boundaries of our comfort zones.

Day 3 Third day of shoot

How do you feel as the shoot is coming to an end?

I was only available for the first two days of the shoot, but I was extremely tired by the end of it! Long days on my feet made sure of that, even though I didn’t have specific gym training to do each day unlike some of the others. It is a shame for it to be ending so soon for me, but I am looking forward to waking up at slightly more reasonable times and pigging out a little bit on some of life’s treats now that the bulk of the calendar shooting is done.

Time to relax with a Pimm’s after two days on our feet!

Would you take part in it again?

I would definitely take part in this project again as it was really good fun and should make a real difference and raise awareness for the Sports Allies programme. The good weather was a real bonus because I’d imagine rain and cold would make it a lot less comfortable.

We’ll be back with more diaries soon!

If you’d like to know more about Cameron read his profile, and to see him in action, download our 2016 England film. 

We love rowing and many of us enjoy other sports as well, whether it’s taking part in them or being a spectator. So, we thought you might like to know who our sporting heroes are and why we admire them. Here’s Zach and his hero – Boris Becker.

My Sporting Hero by Zach

My hero is Boris Becker because he changed sport for younger players. He was an international unseeded player when he managed to win Wimbledon, one of the toughest Grand Slam tournaments, in 1985 at the age of 17. He showed that you can be successful from a young age as long as you just work hard, focus and keep your head in the game.

He went on to win six Grand Slams — including Wimbledon three times — and he is still very involved in tennis, which shows his commitment to it. He still plays and he’s a very entertaining and knowledgeable commentator plus he involves himself in multiple media channels and is known for giving respect to his fans by answering their text messages and tweets personally. 

His career, particularly his early Wimbledon win, gave other unseeded players hope and ambition that they might not have otherwise had. This, plus his discipline and focus, is why Boris is my sporting hero.

Boris Becker wins Wimbledon at 17! .

This year we wanted to share more about us with you in addition to our Rower Profiles. You may have read some of our Shoot Diaries already, and our Sporting Heroes series has just started publishing. We all like to travel when we can, studies and rowing permitting, so we thought you might enjoy hearing about our favourite destinations, and Zach’s choice is so appropriate for this time of year that we let him go first!

Chamonix

My Favourite Destination – Chamonix by Zach

I love Chamonix for its  crisp mountains and runs/ pistes that suit every skiing capability. There are four main areas in the resort, so there is always plenty to do regardless of how long you are there for. You can travel to different areas for either skiing via a public bus, or travel into the town each day for a stroll around it, and you can get there by bus as well. Each part of the area feels different and has its own climate due to range in height with the mountains – 1035 to 3482m — so that makes it more interesting than a number of other ski resorts I’ve visited. Also, the views of Mont Blanc itself are beautiful and there are many off-peak pistes that offer a clear sight of the very top of this iconic mountain. 

My favourite place to eat is Poco Loco Burger Bar in the main Chamonix town and I’d highly recommend a visit to Bar La Chavanne up the mountain, which has a hot tub underneath the chair lift. It sells great hot dogs, beer and hot drinks – it’s definitely suitable for buzzier travellers!

Strolling around Chamonix town is relaxing after some hard skiing on these slopes.

Staying in shape is hugely important to us!

Who likes January?* We hope you’re enjoying your new Warwick Rowers calendar, of course, but otherwise, we know this can be a bit of a grim month. Here in England, it’s cold, damp and dark, and we’re now back at university, which is always a bit of a jolt – but especially after the Christmas holiday, when most of us have hit the mince pies and the mulled wine more than we’ve hit the gym!

As competitive athletes, we have to get back on top form as fast as we can. The best way to get back in shape after a period of eating too much and doing too little is, not surprisingly, through a combination of diet and exercise.

Of course, that’s easier said than done – even if you have a coach breathing down your neck and a bunch of team-mates who are pointing fingers at you when the boat sinks just a little further than usual into the water…

We’re watching out for sinking boats!

So, we thought maybe we could help those of you don’t have the mixed blessing of a coach and a crew to keep you in line! We got together to talk about what we do, and today we bring you our top diet tips. Next time we’ll bring you our top training tips.

Diet Tips

1. Breakfast like a king! It is the most important meal of the day. People who skip it will be more likely to snack and eat more in the evening. We like to eat eggs for breakfast. Eggs are an inexpensive way of giving your body a great start to the day. Research has shown that if you eat an egg or two for breakfast that you will stay feeling satisfied for much longer than if you have a grain-based start to the day, such as cereal or toast. Indeed, any protein rich foods in the morning will stop you from snacking. Other food ideas are smoked salmon, scrambled tofu or natural yoghurt with seeds, nuts and berries.
2. Watch out for snack attacks! Carrying bags of nuts and seeds around might seem like a great way of avoiding less nutritious snacks, like chocolate bars, but these foods are actually quite high in calories and should be included sparingly. Yes, they are a great way of boosting protein and low GI carb intake, but keep an eye on the portion sizes you’re consuming. If you need a snack, go for raw vegetables and a dip, a miso soup or a can of tuna with salad or pulses.
3. Dine like a pauper! Dinner should be your smallest meal of the day because the calories you eat then tend to be stored rather than burnt off. This is especially true if you don’t take much exercise. If you must eat a larger meal in the evening try to eat before 7pm as this provides more calorie-burning time before bed. The later you eat, the harder it is to use up that calorific energy – which otherwise gets stored as fat.
4. Don’t kid yourself at the gym! When you want to lose weight, watch out in particular for those “after exercise treats”. If you find yourself going to the gym twice a day, and then having a brownie after each session, you may be going for the brownie, not the burn! But they’re still calories, and they still count – so cut them out, even if it means fewer trips to the gym.
5. Don’t set yourself up to fail! Few of us can focus all our energies on this. People generally have other responsibilities to manage, too, which means that diet and exercise sometimes get pushed down the agenda. So be realistic. Aim to lose 1-2 lbs per week and set your calories intake at 1200-1500 per day. Too few calories and the diet won’t last because you’ll feel hungry most of the time, and when you get stressed, you’ll give in.
6. Not all carbs are created equal! Some carbs are good, and some are just plain evil! Replace white bread with wholemeal bread, rice with brown rice, and pasta with alternatives such as lentils, quinoa, couscous, peas and potatoes (not fried though). Although some diets suggest you leave carbs out altogether, it’s not a great idea because they do play an important role in producing physical energy and in maintaining chemical balance in your body. Alex says “Always aim for low GI carbs such as kidney beans and lentils, sweet potatoes and barley.” Also, don’t make carbs the focus of a meal, just add a handful of them to a dish. For example rather than heap rice on a plate, add some to your protein and vegetables.
7. Have a strategy for evenings out and visits to restaurants! When you’re trying to get in shape, a meal out can pile on the calories. So, here’s what we do: eat something small like a boiled egg before you go out and drink water so that you never turn up hungry, especially at a buffet style event (otherwise, we tend to pile our plates up at least three times!!). Choose grilled dishes and avoid rich sauces. Don’t drink too much alcohol because that encourages you to choose unhealthy foods.
8. Drink as much as you can! Sadly, we mean water. We aim to drink four litres of water daily. If you drink 500ml with every meal, 500ml when you wake up and before you go to bed, that just leaves 1.5ml to have between meals. Keep a water bottle with you and this should be quite easy and will make you feel great. Avoiding soft, sugary drinks is an absolute must and when it comes to alcohol, well, think about the fact that a pint of beer adds 215 calories to your intake and a glass of wine (175ml) is 130 calories. Cutting down on alcohol is one of the most effective ways of cutting your calorie intake, and while it’s good to have a drink – a glass of red is good for your heart (Lucas favours French wine obviously!) and for your outlook on life –avoid binge drinking and stick to a few glasses at the weekend.

Good luck!

The Boys

Xxx

*We apologise to our supporters in the southern hemisphere, for whom January rocks! Our advice to you is to focus on wearing sunscreen, drink lots of water and let your swimwear tell you if you need to consider any of the other tips above.

Don’t forget your sunscreen!

And if you haven’t got your 2016 calendar yet – it’s not too late! You can even use it to keep track of your progress with the great monthly planners! Get yours now at our shop!

Coming up next – our exercise tips!