All right, so really esoteric. Summer VIIIs 2011, an Oxford bumps race with four days of rowing where the object is to touch the boat ahead of you or get their cox to concede. I was in the 2 seat of Green Templeton College’s 1st boat. We bumped the three previous days and were on course for “blades”
(bumping in each race in the event). We were in our division’s 4th position and suspected the boat ahead of us would bump before we could get them, meaning we’d have to bump the boat in 1st position for an “overbump”. Then we’d have to race in the next division an hour later.
And things played out as we expected; the 2 boats ahead of us bumped out and we got the overbump, but just before the finish line! That meant were very tired after a long sprint. Nevertheless, we smashed through our next race and got a quick bump, winning the men’s boat its first blades!
Our 1st boat dominated its division for the next few seasons. I graduated and moved to London after the next season, but was asked to come back and help whip the 2nd boat of novices into shape for another bumps race. I took on stroke, arguably the hardest seat, despite being out of rowing shape.
And even being out of rowing shape and struggling after a minute or two of sprinting, we managed to bump all four days win the 2nd boat’s first set of blades. So that’s two personal sporting highlights!