Introducing Our Club and Vice Captains for the 2026/27 Season!

Oliver Service (Club Captain)

Goals / What you’d like to see for the club this season as Captains ?  

As Captains, our main goal is to continue driving a strong, inclusive club culture where every athlete feels supported. It’s been fantastic seeing everyone welcome our new novices and build connections outside their usual squads at camp. As the season progresses, we want to maintain that momentum as we build into a successful season!

Your biggest learning from rowing during your time at the club ?

Rowing at this club has taught me resilience. In one regatta, you can win by clear water, and in the next, you might finish dead last. The biggest lesson was learning how to understand what went wrong without getting discouraged, reset, and come back even stronger next time.

What's your message to new rowers or potential rowers ?

Come give it a try! I was super hesitant to give rowing a try at first. Since then I have enjoyed every moment as well as gained many friends & skills for life!

Farrah Grice-Douglas (Club Captain)

Goals / What you’d like to see for the club this season as Captains ?  

As a captain, my main goal is to carry on the inclusiveness and support we have as a team today. I’d love to build stronger connections between year groups and squads, make sure younger rowers feel supported and create an environment where everyone feels motivated to give their best. Seeing everyone work together throughout the season has been awesome and I hope everyone recognises the significance their contributions have had. I am looking forward to seeing more squads work together and the improvements we will make as the season carries on. 

Your biggest learning from rowing during your time at the club ?

My biggest learning from rowing is that even though there are many ups and downs, every bad day and mistake is a lesson to learn and improve from. Understanding that no one’s performance is linear and that bad results shouldn’t suppress the good ones, is something that has taught me resilience, patience, and the importance of trusting the process. Rowing has shown me that success isn’t just about how you perform on your best days, but how you respond to the difficult ones, and that’s a mindset I would like to carry on in the future.

What's your message to new rowers or potential rowers ?

Give rowing a chance and don’t be afraid to challenge yourself! You don’t need to be the strongest or technically best person when you start, what matters is your willingness to learn, commit, and support each other. Rowing can be a demanding sport, but it also gives you friendships, confidence, achievements, and a community you can always rely on. After five years, I’m still here because of everything this sport and club has given me, and I’d love for others to experience that too. 

Milla McKendry (Vice Captain)

Goals / What you’d like to see for the club this season as Captains ?  

A main goal would be to see everyone making the most of this season, both in terms of their rowing and their friendships. It would be great to continue to support a fun and supportive atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable getting involved and celebrating others’ successes. We’re all hoping to promote as much team spirit and pride as possible across all age groups to make the club a place where everyone feels excited to be a part of.

Your biggest learning from rowing during your time at the club ?

I’ve definitely learned how important it is to approach things with a positive perspective and not let one bad session or race overshadow all the fun ones. Your attitude can completely change the experience that you have, and I’ve found that trying your best and not taking things too seriously is the best way to make the most of your time in sport or other areas of life. 

What's your message to new rowers or potential rowers ?

Have fun! This sport can seem quite intense at times, especially when you’re just starting out, but it's so important to make the most of the fun moments and don't take the harder times too seriously. 

John An (Vice Captain)

Goals / What you’d like to see for the club this season as Captains ?  

My main goal for this season would be to continue building upon the positive environment within the club. With such a wide variety of people and age groups within the club, I want to make sure that everyone continues to feel supported, welcomed and encouraged to improve. I would love to see everyone across all age groups getting along, making the most of their time and having fun/

Your biggest learning from rowing during your time at the club ?

I think my biggest learning rowing is the importance of teamwork. Rowing has taught me that individual effort alone is not enough as in order for your crew to move as quickly as possible, everyone needs to row together. As a result, this has taught me how important it is to support each other and have trust in your teammates.

What's your message to new rowers or potential rowers ?

Don’t be afraid to give rowing a try. Stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things can seem scary at first, but rowing is such a great sport with so many amazing people to welcome you into the sport so if you give rowing a chance, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.