A TEAM of rowers who train on the River Tay in an area affectionately known as 'the swamp' stunned their rivals by powering through to the finals of one of the sport’s most prestigious rowing competitions.
The ladies from the Dundee University Boat Club (DUBC), were able to pull ahead of the competition to reach the last race in the hotly contested Development4+ category at the Henley Women's Regatta.
Their appearance at the regatta was the fist time in more than a decade a students from the university have competed, and a world away from their usual stomping ground.
READ MORE: Henley Women's Regatta welcomes Dundee Boat Club
The ambitious team, who may well have set a Guinness World Record for rowing in March, consists of second-year students Fiona Lapp (Mathematics), Katie Canniford (Adult Nursing), Isabella Ashcroft (Forensic Anthropology), third-year student Hannah Campbell (Mechanical Engineering) and now graduate Eleanor Brinkhoff (Physiological Sciences).
Instead of the comparatively balmy waters of the Thames and the high-tech facilities of fellow competitors, the women have to make do with a very basic boathouse without a pontoon.
Training begins at daybreak, even in the winter, and sessions see them wading into the chilly tay to climb aboard their boat.
The crew were given support from current students, staff and alumni including the five-time Olympic medal winner and Dundee honorary graduate Dame Katherine Grainger. Reflecting upon their accomplishment the team said that even they were amazed to reach the finals, where they came second.
“We never expected to make the final but to be there was incredible after the months and months of hard training,” said Eleanor Brinkinhoff, who missed her graduation to attend the races.
READ MORE: Edinburgh University triumph against Glasgow in Scottish boat race
“It was also amazing to hear from so many friends, alumni and just random folk offering us their support and congratulations.
“To get that far for such a small fairly unknown club with limited facilities just made it all the sweeter and shows that anything is achievable with hard graft.”
Used to training in all kinds of weather on the Tay, the crew took to the warmer waters of the Thames to prove that Dundee belonged among rowing’s more famous names.
The Henley team
Eleanor explained: “Personally it was really emotional and to say my final race in Dundee kit was the final of Women’s Henley is such an apt way to end four years in a club that has meant so much.
READ MORE: Brothers take on Atlantic to row 3,000 miles
“Unfortunately our crew won’t be sticking together as I’m graduating and off to Australia to coach rowing for a year. The rest of the girls are definitely going to be keeping up the rowing and hoping to dominate in Scotland and further south again next year.
"Katie will be women’s captain so is also hoping to get more of the club involved in a higher calibre of competitions.”
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