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Telegraph
13-04-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
My husband died of a cardiac arrest during a boat race, but I still see the beauty of rowing
'He mentioned rowing even before he gave me his telephone number,' recalls Sarah Senior of the night she and her late husband, Tim, an oarsman, met at a jazz night in London's 100 Club. 'I'd always thought rowers were handsome boys, and his mischievous smile attracted me. But he was off on a rowing camp the next day, so I thought nothing of it,' she says. The year was 1998, Sarah was 29 and a midwife, Tim was 28 and a civil servant. He would pursue her – post-camp – and two years later, they got married. A river would always run through their relationship from there on in. But tragedy struck when Tim, then the chairman of The Boat Race Company, died of a cardiac arrest at the Henley Fours and Eights Head in February 2023. Tim had discovered rowing as an undergraduate at Nottingham University, then rowing through a master's at the University of Cambridge. Moving to London, he joined Cygnet Rowing Club, and then London Rowing Club on Putney Embankment. After doing a DPhil at Oxford, he and Sarah settled just outside the town, and he eventually landed at Upper Thames Rowing Club. They welcomed their first child, Max, in 2000, Alex two years later, and then Lottie two years after that. Happy family years rolled past, against the steady rhythm of rowing life. But Sarah remained steadfastly immune to the sport's charms. 'When Tim lived at Putney boathouse, I'd wake up beside the river sometimes and be tempted. But I liked lying in too…' Instead, she took up the support role, providing the sandwiches and general cheering section of a non-rowing partner or parent and sacrificing weekends to 'head to Nottingham or London to watch them race by for five minutes'. This continued when the boys took up rowing at school. Both rowed to a high level; Alex representing Team GB. Lottie, a non-rower, enjoyed running down the towpath while Tim was rowing, and then having coffee together afterwards. 'That was special to her,' says Sarah. Henley Royal Regatta was a yearly highlight for Tim, particularly in 2021, when both he and Max competed there at the same time. At 50, racing for the Thames Challenge Cup in an Upper Thames B eight, he was part of the oldest crew ever to win a Henley race. 'I remember the commentator saying, '…and here's Tim Senior – why doesn't he give up?'' laughs Sarah. Was there ever any thought that he would give it up? 'It was never going to happen. He would have been in a boat till he was 100.' Pacing his sons spurred Tim on. 'He liked it when they got better than him, and he didn't because he was so competitive. But one of the reasons they did so well was because they had him telling them what to do,' says Sarah. Having trialled for the Oxford Blue Boat and come close, Tim was delighted when he became chairman of The Boat Race Company in 2021. 'For him, it was the next best thing. I remember him being on the phone all the time, sorting out sponsors, kit and just trying to keep both boats happy. He also helped to establish a bursary to support young people with limited access to rowing.' What would he have made of this year's controversy around rower eligibility? 'He was for whatever was fair. I suspect he would have tried to be very diplomatic about it,' Sarah notes, with equal diplomacy. In February 2023, Tim was busy: managing a full-time job with investment banking company Macquarie, his Boat Race role, and rowing with an older 'masters' crew, known affectionately as 'dad's army'. With a family history of heart disease – his father, who is still alive, had a triple bypass at 51 and his mother had the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation – Tim might have been cautious. But then neither of his parents had led the active life that he did. Certainly, there were no indications of a problem – other than a stomach ache the night before he was due to race. 'I thought it was indigestion,' says Sarah. 'I now understand that when the heart is doing funny things you can get a 'referred' pain. The other thing I remember was that he was quite tired, but again, I put that down to being busy.' Sarah was flying to Canada to see her brother with Lottie that same day, their paths crossing over briefly with Tim, who had just flown back from South Africa. He was in bed when they left for the airport. 'I hadn't wanted to wake him, so I didn't say goodbye. He was insistent about phoning when we got to the airport. He'd said, 'I just love you so much. We need to slow down a bit.' Then we got on the flight.' The Henley Fours and Eights Head course runs 3,000m (3,281 yards) along a genteel stretch of the Thames, ending at the Royal Regatta finish. It was a race Tim had done before, and crossing the line as winners, he was pleased but noted to his crew they should have 'pushed themselves harder'. Paddling back to the boathouse, Tim had a heart attack in the boat, triggering cardiac arrest. 'A nurse and a paramedic in another boat had the defibrillator on him straight away, and that gives me some peace, because I don't feel like more could have been done,' says Sarah. 'There are many instances, though, where people don't get treatment quickly enough.' 'Tim died at 12.25pm in the hospital. But we didn't know until we got to Canada. My brother Michael was waiting at the airport gate, and when he told us, I heard someone howling – then I realised it was me.' They booked the next flight home. 'I remember everything being on his desk, just as he left it. At first, you're numb. I remember reading people's letters and thinking, 'Oh my God, who are they writing about? Why am I getting these flowers?' It was total shock. 'At the funeral the rowers all came in rowing jackets and there was colour everywhere; the memorial was held at Upper Thames and the club bought a boat and named it Tim Senior.' Tim's death was a result of underlying ischemic heart disease, something he was unaware of. 'People say that you don't forget grief, you just grow around it. And that's happening slowly. I'm not there yet, but memories that made me cry make me smile now. This has brought us all very close though, and I want to make sure that we never forget who Tim was and how much he loved us.' For Sarah, now a GP practice nurse, the 'new normal' is a long road. 'I was weirdly relieved to go back to work,' she says. 'Tim always said, 'Do what makes you happy' though, so I'm retraining as a doula. Life is short and you only have so long to do things.' 'The Boat Race is a nice connection that we have to him as a family at this time of year,' says Sarah. The boys continue to do sponsored runs for the British Heart Foundation (BHF), which is the Boat Race's charity partner this year – its BHF-funded CureHeart research project aims to find the world's first cures for inherited heart muscle diseases. The family will watch the race together as they always have. They will also present the Senior Cup, created in Tim's memory for the men's and women's Veterans Boat Races, which take place the day before. In March, the death of another rower on the same 4.3-mile Tideway stretch at the Vesta International Masters Head on which the Boat Race crews compete highlighted the importance of preventative health checks – particularly for older athletes. 'As a sports person, you're fit, you don't smoke, you haven't got diabetes, so you think you're fine. But you don't know what's going on inside your body, and a blood test and blood pressure reading might save your life,' says Sarah. 'Tim's resting heart rate was 40bpm – he never thought of himself at risk of heart disease. He was always too busy to go for a check-up; I wonder whether it would have changed things if he had.' Sarah and Lottie still meet Tim's crew for tea after their outings, sometimes sitting on Tim's eight-seat memorial bench by Upper Thames, overlooking the water. She smiles: 'I always saw rowing as a bit 'here we go again', but I now get the beauty and why he loved it so much.' On the bench is an inscription for a rower, as timeless as river ripples on a sharp spring day: Better a bad day on the water than a good day in the office. Cardiac arrest: Signs and treatment A cardiac arrest is when the heart has suddenly stopped, and blood is no longer being pumped around the body. It's caused by an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) due to the heart's electrical system not working properly. It is different from a heart attack, where there's a sudden loss of blood flow to the heart muscle, but the heart will still be beating. Someone in cardiac arrest will be unconscious and unresponsive, not breathing or not breathing normally, possibly making gasping sounds and have no pulse. The chances of survival more than double with timely CPR and defibrillation; public-access defibrillators check heart rhythm to tell you when to administer a shock, while the British Heart Foundation's digital CPR tool RevivR teaches lifesaving CPR in 15 minutes.
The Guardian
11-04-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Eligibility row and water quality leave bad taste in mouth before Boat Race
Twelve months on from a dirty-water controversy, this year the toxicity has spread to the clubs in the Boat Race. The Olympic gold medallist and former Light Blue rower Imogen Grant caused a stir last month when condemning Oxford as 'slimy' for getting three Cambridge students banned from the race as they were studying for postgraduate certificates in education (PGCEs) rather than a degree, although the conservationist could also have been describing the contents of the Thames, the course for this anachronistic yet somehow endearing national event. About 200,000 spectators and revellers are expected to line the banks of the river between Putney and Mortlake to cheer on the women's race at 1.21pm on Sunday, with the men's race due exactly an hour later. Few watching will be tempted into the water. The water quality does not appear to have improved since both crews were officially banned from the traditional celebration of throwing the winning cox into the river 12 months ago. Testing carried out along the four-mile route revealed E coli levels three times above the threshold for poor bathing water status, with 29.5% of samples exceeding the safe limits for entering the water. The picture is patchy, with data from Fulham Reach Boat Club showing that E coli levels on the course range from 350 units (excellent bathing waters) to more than 6,500 units (beyond poor and unsafe). When the reading exceeds 1,000, bathing is regarded as inadvisable. Given the negative headlines surrounding last year's event, The Boat Race Company, the organiser, will not disclose its guidance to both clubs, but post-race scenes of celebrations in the water seem unlikely. 'We don't do any water testing ourselves, but there are clubs up and down this stretch of river that do,' said Siobhan Cassidy, director of The Boat Race Company. 'We'll be keeping a close eye on the results and issuing guidance. 'The guidance is straightforward. Wash your hands as soon as you come out, have a shower, cover up any wounds beforehand, as you would on any stretch of water. 'You'll have to watch on Sunday. It would be unfair to talk to these guys about how to celebrate in advance, as they're focusing on the race. I'm sure they'll be finding lots of different ways to celebrate.' Oxford's Heidi Long, who won bronze for Great Britain in the women's coxless fours at last summer's Olympics, said: 'I will definitely be washing my hands.' The race has been overshadowed by an eligibility row which led to Cambridge's Matt Heywood, Molly Foxell and Kate Crowley being barred from taking part because of a complaint from Oxford University Boat Club that the teacher training qualification 'is a diploma and that is not a degree'. Cambridge have not let the matter rest, and a legal opinion from Blackstone Chambers was commissioned which concluded: 'There are strong grounds to challenge the lawfulness of the decisions.' The ill-feeling appears largely confined to the blazers who run both clubs, rather than the Lycra-clad athletes who row for them. At a launch event near the start of the race at Putney Bridge this week both crews mingled happily on the riverbank in the early spring sunshine, although watching Sunday's race will be difficult for the excluded trio, as Cambridge's George Bourne admitted. 'Those emotions and thoughts are for other people at this stage,' he said. 'We've got a job to do. It's not for us in the crew to spend our time thinking about these kind of things. There are nine of us in the boat, and we're pretty focused on what we're trying to do on race day. We have to make an effort to dial in to what we have to do. 'Everyone else in the club will be here supporting. We'll catch up with them after the race. We have a job to do on the water and can save those emotions for afterwards.' Cambridge have dominated both men's and women's races in recent years, one reason given for what Grant also described as Oxford's 'desperate' tactics in advancing the PGCE ban. The Cambridge men lead 87-81 since the first race in 1829, have won five of the past six races, and will make it a rare hat-trick if they reach Mortlake first, although those of a superstitious bent have noted that Oxford have won the past five races following an Olympics. The light blues have already beaten Oxford once this season at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, Massachusetts, but for those involved Sunday's race is the only one that matters. Oxford overhauled their coaching setup last summer, with Sean Bowden stepping down after 27 years as head coach to be replaced by Mark Fangen-Hall, who was recruited from Eton, having previously coached at Cambridge. Cambridge's dominance in the women's event is even more pronounced (48-30) and they have won the past seven races. Victory on Sunday on the 10th anniversary of the women's race being staged on the Tideway Course for the first time would equal Cambridge's best winning run since the 1990s, but the returning Oxford president, Annie Anezakis, is determined to stop them. 'I'm back again because I want to win it, I'm not here just to have a fun time,' she said. 'Our team want to do it for each other and for the women that have come before us.'
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
With eligibility dispute rocking the storied Boat Race, Oxford and Cambridge crews refocus
A dispute over eligibility criteria has rocked the build-up to the Boat Race, a nearly 200-year-old rowing contest between storied universities Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames in London. Now the two rivals are calling for calm and focus as the event approaches. Three Cambridge rowers have been banned from taking part in next month's race because they are undertaking a postgraduate teaching course — a PGCE — which Oxford argued is a certificate as opposed to a degree. An independent panel ruling on the eligibility of students in the race sided with Oxford, sparking disgruntlement from those linked to its long-time rival. 'Slimy,' was the view last week of one former Cambridge rower, Olympic gold medalist Imogen Grant. Another member of Cambridge's alumni, former world champion rower Cath Bishop, described it as 'utter madness' and a 'new low in relations' between the university boat clubs. Matt Heywood, a former under-23 world champion who is one of the three rowers affected by the ruling, said on social media the decision didn't align with the 'values of sportsmanship or race spirit that I have known in rowing." He added he felt 'disheartened by the wider implications of this decision on my future vocation.' Recognizing the growing controversy surrounding this year's men's and women's races, The Boat Race Company — the organizer of a contest that is one of the oldest sporting events in the world — said Wednesday the two clubs have sympathy for the students who are unable to race but now want to 'focus on those who are competing." 'Following this year's races, as usual we will meet to review rules and processes, to ensure maximum clarity for the future,' the company said. 'We create rules which are intended to respect the integrity and original spirit of The Boat Race, balanced against the ambitions of talented rowers pursuing their academic goals. 'Our rivalry on the water is fierce, and we disagree on things from time to time. This is part of what makes the event what it is. But we have huge respect for each other, and that will never change.' The men's race between the two universities first took place in 1829. The women's crews have been racing along the same 4.2-mile (6.8-kilometer) stretch of the River Thames between Putney and Mortlake since 2015. The event has typically attracted more than 200,000 spectators along the Thames. Rarely has there been such open hostility ahead of the event, however, since the ruling that will see Heywood and female rowers Molly Foxell and Kate Cowley needing to sit out the race on April 13. It hurts Cambridge's chances of an eighth straight win in the women's race and a sixth win in the last seven men's races. The chair of the Light Blues' boat club, Annamarie Phelps, said last week it was 'supporting affected athletes through this difficult time.' 'There is no question academically about the standing of the PGCE course, which is highly valued and operates at a postgraduate level,' said Phelps, who noted that former PGCE students from both Cambridge and Oxford previously had been allowed to race. Not anymore, though, with organizers pointing to revised criteria that has been jointly agreed to by the two competing clubs. 'And likewise,' Cambridge added in a statement published Tuesday that was calmer in its tone, 'we've agreed to the authority of an independent interpretation panel. It is based on their interpretation of the rules that some athletes have been ruled ineligible, decisions which we have accepted.' For Grant, though, Oxford's tactics were underhand. 'As you can imagine, I'm seething,' she said in comments reported in the British media. 'This is an insult to teachers everywhere and a desperate ploy from Oxford to gain an upper hand in the most slimy way. 'I don't believe this reflects on the current Oxford squad, who have also had to train among this uncertainty all year. I believe this is entirely down to select individuals amongst the alumni who have a narrow, outdated view of who rows boat races.' The names of the crew members taking part in the races were being announced on Wednesday. ___ AP sports:
The Independent
26-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
With eligibility dispute rocking the storied Boat Race, Oxford and Cambridge crews refocus
A dispute over eligibility criteria has rocked the build-up to the Boat Race, a nearly 200-year-old rowing contest between storied universities Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames in London. Now the two rivals are calling for calm and focus as the event approaches. Three Cambridge rowers have been banned from taking part in next month's race because they are undertaking a postgraduate teaching course — a PGCE — which Oxford argued is a certificate as opposed to a degree. An independent panel ruling on the eligibility of students in the race sided with Oxford, sparking disgruntlement from those linked to its long-time rival. 'Slimy,' was the view last week of one former Cambridge rower, Olympic gold medalist Imogen Grant. Another member of Cambridge's alumni, former world champion rower Cath Bishop, described it as 'utter madness' and a 'new low in relations' between the university boat clubs. Matt Heywood, a former under-23 world champion who is one of the three rowers affected by the ruling, said on social media the decision didn't align with the 'values of sportsmanship or race spirit that I have known in rowing." He added he felt 'disheartened by the wider implications of this decision on my future vocation.' Recognizing the growing controversy surrounding this year's men's and women's races, The Boat Race Company — the organizer of a contest that is one of the oldest sporting events in the world — said Wednesday the two clubs have sympathy for the students who are unable to race but now want to 'focus on those who are competing." 'Following this year's races, as usual we will meet to review rules and processes, to ensure maximum clarity for the future,' the company said. 'We create rules which are intended to respect the integrity and original spirit of The Boat Race, balanced against the ambitions of talented rowers pursuing their academic goals. 'Our rivalry on the water is fierce, and we disagree on things from time to time. This is part of what makes the event what it is. But we have huge respect for each other, and that will never change.' The men's race between the two universities first took place in 1829. The women's crews have been racing along the same 4.2-mile (6.8-kilometer) stretch of the River Thames between Putney and Mortlake since 2015. The event has typically attracted more than 200,000 spectators along the Thames. Rarely has there been such open hostility ahead of the event, however, since the ruling that will see Heywood and female rowers Molly Foxell and Kate Cowley needing to sit out the race on April 13. It hurts Cambridge's chances of an eighth straight win in the women's race and a sixth win in the last seven men's races. The chair of the Light Blues' boat club, Annamarie Phelps, said last week it was 'supporting affected athletes through this difficult time.' 'There is no question academically about the standing of the PGCE course, which is highly valued and operates at a postgraduate level,' said Phelps, who noted that former PGCE students from both Cambridge and Oxford previously had been allowed to race. Not anymore, though, with organizers pointing to revised criteria that has been jointly agreed to by the two competing clubs. 'And likewise,' Cambridge added in a statement published Tuesday that was calmer in its tone, 'we've agreed to the authority of an independent interpretation panel. It is based on their interpretation of the rules that some athletes have been ruled ineligible, decisions which we have accepted.' For Grant, though, Oxford's tactics were underhand. 'As you can imagine, I'm seething,' she said in comments reported in the British media. 'This is an insult to teachers everywhere and a desperate ploy from Oxford to gain an upper hand in the most slimy way. 'I don't believe this reflects on the current Oxford squad, who have also had to train among this uncertainty all year. I believe this is entirely down to select individuals amongst the alumni who have a narrow, outdated view of who rows boat races.' The names of the crew members taking part in the races were being announced on Wednesday. ___
Associated Press
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
With eligibility dispute rocking the storied Boat Race, Oxford and Cambridge crews refocus
A dispute over eligibility criteria has rocked the build-up to the Boat Race, a nearly 200-year-old rowing contest between storied universities Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames in London. Now the two rivals are calling for calm and focus as the event approaches. Three Cambridge rowers have been banned from taking part in next month's race because they are undertaking a postgraduate teaching course — a PGCE — which Oxford argued is a certificate as opposed to a degree. An independent panel ruling on the eligibility of students in the race sided with Oxford, sparking disgruntlement from those linked to its long-time rival. 'Slimy,' was the view last week of one former Cambridge rower, Olympic gold medalist Imogen Grant. Another member of Cambridge's alumni, former world champion rower Cath Bishop, described it as 'utter madness' and a 'new low in relations' between the university boat clubs. Matt Heywood, a former under-23 world champion who is one of the three rowers affected by the ruling, said on social media the decision didn't align with the 'values of sportsmanship or race spirit that I have known in rowing.' He added he felt 'disheartened by the wider implications of this decision on my future vocation.' Recognizing the growing controversy surrounding this year's men's and women's races, The Boat Race Company — the organizer of a contest that is one of the oldest sporting events in the world — said Wednesday the two clubs have sympathy for the students who are unable to race but now want to 'focus on those who are competing.' 'Following this year's races, as usual we will meet to review rules and processes, to ensure maximum clarity for the future,' the company said. 'We create rules which are intended to respect the integrity and original spirit of The Boat Race, balanced against the ambitions of talented rowers pursuing their academic goals. 'Our rivalry on the water is fierce, and we disagree on things from time to time. This is part of what makes the event what it is. But we have huge respect for each other, and that will never change.' The men's race between the two universities first took place in 1829. The women's crews have been racing along the same 4.2-mile (6.8-kilometer) stretch of the River Thames between Putney and Mortlake since 2015. The event has typically attracted more than 200,000 spectators along the Thames. Rarely has there been such open hostility ahead of the event, however, since the ruling that will see Heywood and female rowers Molly Foxell and Kate Cowley needing to sit out the race on April 13. It hurts Cambridge's chances of an eighth straight win in the women's race and a sixth win in the last seven men's races. The chair of the Light Blues' boat club, Annamarie Phelps, said last week it was 'supporting affected athletes through this difficult time.' 'There is no question academically about the standing of the PGCE course, which is highly valued and operates at a postgraduate level,' said Phelps, who noted that former PGCE students from both Cambridge and Oxford previously had been allowed to race. Not anymore, though, with organizers pointing to revised criteria that has been jointly agreed to by the two competing clubs. 'And likewise,' Cambridge added in a statement published Tuesday that was calmer in its tone, 'we've agreed to the authority of an independent interpretation panel. It is based on their interpretation of the rules that some athletes have been ruled ineligible, decisions which we have accepted.' For Grant, though, Oxford's tactics were underhand. 'As you can imagine, I'm seething,' she said in comments reported in the British media. 'This is an insult to teachers everywhere and a desperate ploy from Oxford to gain an upper hand in the most slimy way. 'I don't believe this reflects on the current Oxford squad, who have also had to train among this uncertainty all year. I believe this is entirely down to select individuals amongst the alumni who have a narrow, outdated view of who rows boat races.' The names of the crew members taking part in the races were being announced on Wednesday. ___
