It is no secret that Exeter shines for its sporting performances and its reputation was further enhanced by the spectacular performance of EUBC at the recent BUCS Regatta. HCX are joined by Jess Elkington; recent winner of 2 Bronze medals and 1 Gold in the lightweight 8, double and quad races. She is now through (with her team: Charlotte Dexter, Emma Townshend and Hannah Traylen) to the European University Sports Association races in Poland.
Congratulations Jess on your successful BUCS weekend! How did you prep for the lightweight races?
Obviously we continued with the standard rowing training 12-14 times a week, and added in river weights, running and the dreaded Ergo. Lightweight required me to drop 4kg so in March I started a strict diet around my training.
Wow, dedication! How did it feel when you won gold?
Wicked! We felt like we were winning from our first stroke, but although we were confident we kept on powering through to ensure our win. (In which they did – winning by a staggering 8 seconds). Being invited to row in Poland for EUSA is amazing and reminds us of why we work so hard.
How did you manage to juggle your time training with revision?
Revision tends to take a back seat to training. I prefer it that way!
How did you start rowing?
At school it was the big sport, and I started at 13 and carried on from there.
What do you see for the future?
Well next year are GB Trials, so with any luck (and a lot of work), my future may involve the U23 lightweight quad.
Good luck Jess, hopefully we will see you at Rio in 2016!