Black History Month 2024

"Rowing has given me a great sense of self … rowing allowed me to see the bigger story out there."

This Black History Month, we've been speaking to people in and out of the club to discuss their journey in rowing, a sport where black people are usually the minority.

Lisa Richardson hails from New York City, where she learned to row in college and coached at the high school level. After time at other clubs in the UK she joined the Otters in 2023 and now captains our Senior Squad. James Timbs-Harrison rowed at Newcastle University and in 2015 rowed 3000 miles across the Atlantic with friends. He joined the club two years ago. Zendell Addai learned to row through one of our Otterpups Learn to Row courses in 2023, and now trains regularly as well as being one of the Social Secretaries on our committee.

In this video they discuss what they enjoy about rowing, why they think not as many black people take up rowing, and what they would say to someone interested in getting involved in the sport.

Vwairé Obukohwo grew up in Brixton, is a member of the British Rowing GB Start programme and won bronze for GB at the U23 level. Daphne Martschenko was president of Cambridge University Women's Boat Club, and was surprised to be told by a historian she was the first black person to compete in the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race in its entire history. Kyra Delray rowed at school and her local club, but flourished in her rowing at UCLA before joining Team GB, and is now studying for a doctorate at the University of Oxford.

In this video they discuss what rowing has given them, their perspective on why black people remain a minority in the sport, and why they would recommend it as a sport.