Long before I worked in sport, or even imagined running a sports charity, I was a state-school kid in Windsor learning how to row and trying to help keep our school boat club afloat.
My first experience of The Boat Race wasn’t from a fan park or a television screen but from the riverbank, where I was selling programmes to passers-by to help raise funds for the club.
That day, and what I felt during that time, stuck with me.
The excitement of the day and its sense of history is huge, plus the Youth Boat Race aimed to bridge the gap between the on-water action and the young people watching from the bankside.
That memory was very much in my mind when in 2024 we began pitching the idea of a Youth Boat Race to the event organisers.
After nearly 200 years of The Boat Race – one of the longest-running sporting events in the world, which this year will take place on Saturday 4 April – it felt there was an untapped opportunity for local young people, particularly those from state schools, to be part of it.
The ambition behind the Youth Boat Race was to change that, because this event was never just about racing. It was about access.
Access to rowing for young people who might not otherwise find it; access to the River Thames and its history and access to the feeling of belonging to an iconic and nationally televised major sporting event.
Inspired by The Boat Race and funded by The Oxford & Cambridge Rowing Foundation (OCRF), the charity that owns The Boat Race Company, the Youth Boat Race was designed to celebrate participation, teamwork and opportunity.
Crews would be mixed and inclusive, ensuring that everyone who wanted to race could do so, regardless of background or experience level and, just as importantly, the event was built with young people, not just for them.
The excitement of the day and its sense of history is huge, plus the Youth Boat Race aimed to bridge the gap between the on-water action and the young people watching from the bankside.
From school talks and volunteering opportunities to co-designing the event’s branding, the build-up and their input to shaping the event mattered, as those moments helped young rowers feel ownership, pride and a real connection to The Boat Race week itself.
By April 2025, standing on the sunny banks of the Thames at Fulham Reach Boat Club, it was clear the idea had taken on a life of its own and the event featured on the BBC with a peak audience of 2.8 million. We even made our own video on the events of the day, which we are very proud of.
Over 100 state-school students and volunteers gathered for the second Youth Boat Race.
Eight mixed crews from schools across London raced side by side on the same stretch of river used by the Oxford and Cambridge University rowers, with families lining the banks and local supporters cheering.
The atmosphere was joyful, loud and deeply proud, with participants describing it as an amazing experience filled with music and laughter that they would “100% like to do again”, and "a very fun and a unique experience" that people thoroughly enjoyed and that built new memories with friends.
Watching young athletes race along the Championship Course was genuinely moving.
Many of them had discovered rowing through state school and community programmes, and that gave me an added sense of pride.
Speeches from OCRF Trustee Erin Kennedy OBE and Mayor Patricia Quigley captured exactly what the day represented: teamwork, trust, confidence and being part of something bigger than ourselves.
But for me, what has been most exciting is witnessing just how quickly the Youth Boat Race has grown.
From a small pilot in 2024, to a significantly expanded second year, all supported by the generosity of OCRF, the event has already become a meaningful fixture of Boat Race week. And now to see it included in Channel 4’s coverage this Easter Weekend 2026 truly feels like a milestone.
That visibility matters as it sends a powerful message to young people watching at home that rowing is something they can be part of.
After the inaugural Youth Boat Race in 2024, Owen Slot, chief sports writer at The Times, summed this up perfectly when he said: “Only when sports can spread the word like this does elite funding at the Olympic end really make sense.”
For me, that captures the essence of the Youth Boat Race and is the link between grassroots opportunity and elite sport, showing how inspiration, access and participation can exist hand-in-hand with elite level racing.
The Youth Boat Race is still young, but its purpose is clear and each year it grows, not just in numbers, but in confidence, quality and impact too.
What began as an idea is now an event that brings communities together and opens doors for young people across London.
It proves that success isn’t measured by winning, but by the friendships formed, the confidence built and the moment a young person realises they belong on the river.
And this Easter, with the Youth Boat Race shared with a national audience, many more young people might just see themselves there too.