Oar-inspiring efforts put rowing under the spotlight

Cambridge United Sport in the Community Awards

Take a walk alongside the River Cam in Cambridge and you are more than likely to see a rowing crew going through the motions.

The city and the sport are almost inseparable, both with the town and gown.

There are pinch points in the season, with the head races on the Thames in the spring and the multiple summer regattas.

And this year there were some top performances in the opening quarter of the year.

Cantabrigian and Chesterton Rowing Clubs both produced fine displays in the Women’s Eights Head of the River Races, while there was victory for Cambridge University in the Women’s Boat Race.

So with rowing being the feature sport of the month in the Cambridge United Sport in the Community Awards, it made judging the star and champion winners a particularly tough decision.

But the development of Imogen Grant helped her take the star award, while the volunteer efforts of Cantabs’ Phil Gunning have seen him named champion of the month.

“There can be no mistaking the significance of rowing in Cambridge and so it was vital that we recognised the role it plays in the city,” said Cambridge United Community Trust chief executive Ben Szreter.

“There is a continual buzz of activity on the Cam as crews go through their paces for the many races and regattas around the country.

“When it came down to choosing the winners for this month, it was a really difficult task as there were so many worthy candidates.

“But the efforts and achievements of both Imogen and Phil gave them the edge, and they are worthy winners of this month’s awards.”