Lightweight Women

Carrying the Legacy Forward: A Call to Support Our Lightweight Women from Helena Olandi, 2026 President

To our dear and cherished alumni,

What a phenomenal season it has already shaped up to be for the Lightweight Women of CUBC. Standing on the shoulders of all of you who have come before us, and because of your continued generosity, we have already been given incredible opportunities to represent and carry forward the legacy of our sport. This has seen us place in the top ten at the Head of the Charles, perform strongly against clubs from all over the country at Fours Head, deliver a nail-biting Trial Eights race, and stand proudly against Thames Rowing Club in our first fixture of the season.

As President, leading such an incredibly dedicated, hard-working, but also kind, supportive, and united group of athletes has been both an honour and a privilege. I am immensely proud not only of how they have been training and performing, but of who they are as people, and as a crew. They show up every day with professionalism, resilience, and humility, and support one another through every high and low. Watching them grow in both physical and mental strength week after week, has been deeply inspiring. They rise to every challenge placed before them, and I cannot wait to see where this journey takes them, on Boat Race day and far beyond it. They truly hold the flame high for the values and reputation of CUBC, where lifelong friendships are forged stroke by stroke through the battering waves and wind of Ely.

I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the single most important factor enabling our success on the water, while maintaining sportsmanship and integrity both in and out of the boat, has been our coach, Oliver. From day one, he has established himself as an exceptional leader: unwaveringly supportive and passionate of our mission, holding us to our highest standards, guiding us with expert instinct and deep knowledge, and wholeheartedly committed to the development and togetherness of this squad. He provides not only technical excellence, but stability, belief, and vision.

The coach of the Lightweight program occupies a uniquely specialised position. The majority of the athletes within the squad will come from college rowing, representing the fierce tradition of the Boat Race to the core. However, this comes with a unique and complex set of challenges: often it will be the first time for the athletes in a higher-level performance training environment, with limited overall experience, drawn from a wide range of technical backgrounds and rowing styles. For this reason, the program demands an experienced, skilled coach who understands how to develop athletes patiently, safely, and effectively, while forging them into a cohesive and competitive unit.

That is why we are asking you to support the specialised coaching that makes this possible by making a gift to the programme. Our goal is to raise £13,000 to help cover these essential costs.

At a time when lightweight rowing faces increasing external pressure from funding constraints and the ever-present threat of programs being diminished or lost, retaining high-quality leadership is not a luxury, but a necessity. If the Lightweight program is to survive, grow, and continue producing athletes of both exceptional performance and character, we must make it possible for the right people to stay. Oxford is coming for us, and we cannot meet that challenge by making cuts or settling for less. Your support will not only fund excellent coaching; it will sustain the forty-year legacy, and of one of the last remaining high-level lightweight rowing programmes, maintaining it for those who have always known, protected, and lived its value.

Thank you for your unwavering support, without which none of this would be possible.We also extend our thanks to the donor who has kindly supported our lightweight four’s entry at the 2026 Head of the Charles. I hope to meet many of you and thank you personally. We look up to you immensely and work every day to honour what you have built, and we would love the opportunity to do so together in Putney on the 3rd of April.

Best wishes, and boat’s speed to you all.

Helena Olandi