‘The Boat Race is just like any other test or exam’

Trinity students Reggie Mitchell and Charlie Marcus will row in Goldie, the Men’s Reserve Boat, this Sunday. They explain what rowing and coxing means to them and how they prepare for the Boat Race. 

Reggie Mitchell is a second-year, Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic student. He is stroke of Goldie, which races against Isis at 2.45pm on Sunday. 

‘It is part of the challenge of preparing for the Boat Race that you have to balance work and rowing. It requires quite a lot of organisation to do everything right. My friends have been great at seeing me around the strange hours I go to bed (9-10pm) and made College a great place to live in.

I like to settle into a routine working in the morning and early evening and then going to Hall or painting just before I go to bed. There isn’t a lot of time to relax so I have to make it count!

The Boat Race is just like any other test or exam; I focus on the process and do what I can sequentially. The comparison really helps with Tripos – there aren’t thousands of people watching me in the exam hall.

Rowing is part of my lifestyle and it keeps me active. Although it is really crushing sometimes, it lets me test myself and improve. I’m trying to find out who I am and the team helps me with that.’

Charlie Marcus is a first-year Engineering student and the Cox of Goldie. 

‘Training for the Boat Race and studying at the same time is tough but rewarding. I have some days with timetabled training and academic commitments all day from 6.15am to 8pm. However, it is all worth it and really enjoyable.

I try not to think about the race as a global event. Rowing is a simple sport so I try to just break it down to getting my crew from Putney to Mortlake faster than Oxford, without thinking about anything else surrounding the race.

Coxing is very important to me. I’ve been coxing for almost six years now and really enjoy being part of a cohesive crew. My job is to make sure standards are kept high and the tiny details of everyone’s stroke are done correctly and in time.’

The Boat Races begin on Sunday 7 April with the Women’s Boat Race at 2.13pm, followed by the Women’s Reserve Crew, Osiris versus Blondie at 2.30pm, and Isis versus Goldie at 2.45pm. The Men’s Boat Race is at 3.10pm.