Wallingford woman to become first wheelchair user to row Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race course
Becky Coleman raises money for sepsis charity and accessible boat club
A woman from Wallingford is making history today as she becomes the first wheelchair user to row the full Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race course using only her arms.
Adaptive rower Becky Coleman is taking on the 4.25-mile course from Putney to Chiswick, setting off at midday.
Becky, who has been a wheelchair user since childhood following an accident and a genetic condition, only took up rowing less than a year ago.
She began the sport shortly after a serious battle with sepsis, which left her needing to rebuild basic cognitive functions.
“At one point I couldn’t speak fluently,” she said. “Even writing an email or crossing the road would be so stimulating and overwhelming that the brain couldn’t keep up.”
She says rowing played a key role in her recovery.
“Picking up the oars and trying to learn the sequence kind of forced a reset,” she explained. “It’s fundamentally changed the outcome.”
Despite starting just days before last year’s Boat Race, Becky has trained consistently to prepare for today’s challenge, adapting the sport to suit her needs using a fixed seat.
“It was kind of trying out to see if it would even be something I could do,” she said. “But really it’s just been a case of building up and learning the rowing techniques, the same as anyone else would do.”
She is aiming to complete the course in around an hour, although says that will depend on the tide and weather conditions.
The row is raising money for the UK Sepsis Trust and Fulham Reach Boat Club, where she trains.
The club is working to expand access to rowing for people with disabilities.
“I want to do it to open it up and show that actually it’s possible,” Becky said. “Hopefully that will pave the way for more people to get involved.”
She will complete the challenge alongside her coach, who first introduced her to rowing.
“The person who actually got me started is going to be in the boat with me,” she said. “We’ll do it together, which is going to be really special.”
Becky says taking on the famous stretch of the Thames is a significant personal milestone, having grown up watching the Boat Race.
“It’s really, really cool to now have the opportunity to row it,” she added.