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Wimbledon Rows EX HUMILIBUS 2020/21
Wimbledon Rows Wimbledon High School’s Boat Club is made up of much more than students who just want to get out on the water.
T
he rowers’ team spirit, dedication and camaraderie especially over the last few months has been astounding, along with the unwavering support of their Olympic Silver medal winning coach, Gillian Lindsay and the parents who continue to strive to provide the very best for the WHS Boat Club (WHSBC). Prior to 2016, Wimbledon was not necessarily known for its prowess on the water, however a recent reconnection with alumna Charlotte Butler (Class of 1995) reminded us that whilst it might have been some time since Wimbledon High won any medals, there had been crews who had succeeded before. Today, Charlotte runs a successful diversity training company in London, but has fond memories of her time on the Thames:
“Being a part of the 1995 WHS Rowing team was an experience I will never forget. During the winter months this plucky crew of beginners would meet by the banks of the Thames in Putney after school, rowing out of the boathouse kindly lent by King’s College School (KCS). We laughed, we got wet, we got cold, we got sore hands, we sang, we almost lost a car to the incoming tide, we laughed some more.” A sweep of the school archives revealed that there had in fact been a rowing team during the mid 1990s. Further investigation showed that the team was run by the then Head of PE Mrs Garner, who joined WHS in 1992 and that the squad used the KCS club house as their base.
