Chronicle April 2016

24 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

The Boat Race

On the 40th anniversary of the first of his three Boat Race wins, we talk to John Wiggins about a life spent messing about in boats. When and where did you start rowing? At Wallingford Grammar School, aged 14. I was one of three boys kept behind in a Chemistry lesson and asked if we wanted to try rowing; I was the only one still going after a year. I progressed to an elite group that had won the Colts (now J16) coxed

You gained a place at Keble College, Oxford to read Materials Science.What was it like on arrival? After three intensive and relatively monastic years as a schoolboy rower and without a gap year, the early days as an undergraduate at Keble College were very exciting and the prospect of throwing myself straight back in to full-time training was not that compelling - especially coming from a very small pond and being now only a small fish. However, with rowing Blues at the college, I was easily located. The twin worlds of some relatively earthy characters at Keble - I was not the only one from a state school - and the mostly public school university rowing squad provided for some interesting times, not least for my social life when it occasionally burst into life. But, more significant was trying to balance a science course against rowing each day; I missed many afternoon practicals. Other challenges that first term included switching sides: after three years rowing only on stroke- side, it was decided that I might be needed on bow-side - a whole new set of blisters! I soon moved from the safety and obscurity of the bow-end of the boat down to the key seat at seven. But my grip on bow-side rowing was tenuous and in rough conditions in a pre-race fixture, I caught a massive crab approaching Hammersmith Bridge, jamming the seat, which was caught on camera (and published) as well as on film - I recently discovered. What was it like training and racing in the public eye?

four at the National Championships but needed to expand the squad. The step up to training six days a week with heavy weights sessions and very long distances on the water took some adjusting to but the results turned out exceptionally well. Our Chemistry teacher, Bruce Grainger, was the most forward-thinking rowing coach in the country, emerging as the top junior coach for well over a decade. In 1973, not only did we win the Junior National Championships but were also selected for GB and won a surprise bronze medal at the World Junior Rowing Championships.

John Wiggins in the Quad and, above, at seven seat in 1976