Laos Books

Throughout my MBA, I had been wanting to learn how to row. It’s an Oxford tradition to row for your college and many people within my class took up the sport on arriving at the university. But alas, I had too many other commitments to juggle and there was simply no time for rowing.

Furthermore, the idea of rowing in December at 6:30am, getting blisters on my hands and cycling through the cold to get to and from the college boathouse was just not appealing to me.

But now I have no more excuses. My class work this summer is relatively light, it’s summertime so it’s not too cold and I reckon that having a few blisters will help me build character.

I signed up to row with my college, Green Templeton College, over the summer. The captain of the team was very welcoming and encouraged me to find other MBAs who were interested in rowing. I sent out an email and secured commitment from one other woman in my class.

Our first rowing experience this week was not on the water but inside the boathouse. We walked into a room to the sound of pounding house music and the sight of four muscular, sweaty men, rowing in their spandex rowing outfits on the ergs (the indoor rowing machines).

My heart leapt as I thought to myself, “Hm. Why didn’t I decide to do this before?”

My MBA friend and I sat down on the ergs and were taught the correct rowing technique and timing. My rowing was not very smooth, but I got better with practice. Just as I was beginning to get used to the motions, the house music ended and one of the sweaty rowers next to me got up to switch the music to a new CD.

The moment he sat down, Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” began blasting out of the speakers. All the men around me were clearly too busy with rowing to switch the song. The next song was, “It’s Raining Men.”

I turned to my MBA colleague, smiled and said, “I could get used to this. This is…. awesome!”

My first erg training session at the Green Templeton College boathouse

After my introductory training, I couldn’t wait for the true rowing experience to begin!

The next morning at 6:30am, I climbed into a boat with various other Green Templeton College members and we began the practice. I was one of three new people in the boat, and it was fantastic to practise with a mix of beginner and experienced rowers.

Being on the water felt exactly as I had imagined: it was relaxing, challenging and refreshing. I really enjoyed working as part of a team, which is something the MBA has taught me to truly appreciate.

I cannot imagine I will turn into a pro-rower by the end of the summer, but I certainly plan to keep practicing this summer. Needless to say, I am having a ton of fun. And in the words of Cyndi Lauper, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!”