rower' and proud member of Christ’s College Magenta, or the third eight”. Powering up in 2021, Henry returned for his final U18 season as a rower, only to be diagnosed with compartment syndrome – an extremely painful condition caused by an excessive build- up of pressure in an enclosed muscle space – in November. “Being told that I could never row again was
“I refused to quit and instead used the knowledge I had gained over the three previous seasons to become a cox.”
definitely one of the low points of my time as a rower. At the time, the pain I was experiencing from the condition – combined with the disappointment – was an entirely miserable experience. “Despite this, I refused to quit and instead used the knowledge I had gained over the three previous seasons to become a cox. One of my coaches then put me in touch with Sam and we began texting and calling as he shared his knowledge as an Olympic cox.” Henry believes that mentorship provides “the resources to develop yourself and your skills” and a connection to someone “you can model yourself on”. “The contact with Sam helped me throughout the season as it gave me somebody to ask all of the questions that nobody else knew how to answer, as well as a way to improve my own coxing,” he explains. “I was able to send Sam recordings of myself during racing
and training so that he could provide feedback. This helped me improve my own coxing and, thus, allowed me to help improve the crews I was part of throughout the season.” Henry was ultimately successful, becoming the premier cox of the U18 and U17 eights and steering those crews to win Maadi Cup silver and bronze, respectively. Apart from his precious medal wins, Henry’s highs include the “B final of the U18 eight when I was U17, in which the Christ's College Magenta crew went head to head against the King’s College top eight and emerged victorious by less than half a second”. Equally, much of his most memorable time was spent
training and racing with this year’s U18 eight. “That time spent with some of my closest mates, doing a sport we all loved, is exactly why I chose to stick with Rowing all these years and has left me with some treasured memories.” As a young athlete who has defied the odds, Henry recognises the crucial role that Sam has played in his often turbulent Rowing journey. “Sam definitely inspired me in my own career as I watched him lead his eight to success at the Tokyo Olympics and even back to his own Maadi Cup time at College. He has pushed me to want to achieve results like these.”
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PHILANTHROPY
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