This afternoon, I’ll proudly don an Oxford all-in-one for the first time in 28 years. Together with the rest of my Oxford University Women’s Boat Club alumnae crew, we’ll get the boat on the water, and paddle out to await the start of our race against our old rivals, Cambridge. I know I’ll feel as nervous as I did in 1994, but the big difference is this time, we’ll be racing on the hallowed Boat Race course in Putney, rather than at Henley.

It’s been a long time coming, but we’re all incredibly proud to be taking part in the inaugural Women’s Veterans’ Race. For those of us who were denied the chance to row on the Tideway when we were students, it feels particularly special. 

At 50, I’m privileged to be rowing behind US Olympic Gold Medallist Caryn Davies, who was in the first Women’s Boat Race to take place in London in 2015. Joining us in the Dark Blue boat are a selection of women from over the years: Rebecca Patton, Alice Topley, Merel Lefferts, Helen Casey, Jenny Taylor, and my former crewmate and 94’s OUWBC President, Alison Cox. 

Our average age is 44 – the rival crews try to match so no one has an unfair advantage – and like the veteran men, we’ll race a 3000m shortened version of the course, from Putney to Furnival Steps. According to Nick Holland, who rowed in the first Men’s Veteran race in 1995, the length was set so as not to detract from the Boat Race – which takes place tomorrow – not because we oldies can’t make it that far.

Today will be hugely emotional. When I rowed for Oxford, we campaigned tirelessly for the Women’s Boat Race to be moved to the Tideway and take place on the same day as the men’s. Our argument was that by relegating us to compete on a 2000m stretch at Henley, it looked like we were incapable of rowing the same distance. I got tired of telling people, “Yes, women can row 4.2 miles, too.”