Henley rowing triumph for Hereford's Oli Partridge

9:28am Thursday 10th July 2008

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NOT many sportsmen get to the top by staring at their bedroom wall, but that's how Hereford Rowing Club oarsman Oli Partridge raced to Henley Royal Regatta glory at the weekend.

"I've got a rowing machine in my room at home and I must have done thousands of miles on it, as well as getting up at 4am to drive down to Henley to train with my Leander crew," said the delighted Broad Oak farmer, who took up the sport after playing rugby for England Under-16 and Bristol Shoguns.

In an epic Thames tussle, the Bishop of Hereford’s Bluecoat and Hereford Cathedral School product helped his boat beat London outfit Tideway Scullers by a canvas - just eight feet - to lift the Thames Cup club eights title in Sunday's final.

"I was so exhausted at the end, I didn't know whether we'd got it, I just collapsed in the bottom of the boat," he said.

"Then when I recovered, it was just pure elation. It feels awesome to win a Henley medal. It's the biggest event in the world for club rowing, and you work so hard to get there, so when you achieve it, it's amazing." Last year, the 24-year-old suffered the heartache of his Leander four favourites hitting the wooden booms that mark out the course 10 strokes from the line and crashing out.

To make Sunday’s final of the 42-boat event, his crew from the elite club of Olympic superstars Steve Redgrave and Matt Pinsent had to win tough battles against City of Bristol, Thames Tradesmen, German Under-23 Hamburg and Manchester boat Agecroft, coming from behind to fight back and win.

A storming start against a Tideway Scullers crew containing GB Under-23 and the British indoor rowing champion saw them grab an early lead in the final which they stretched to nearly three-quarters of a length at the mile post.

However, Scullers launched a furious finish that Partridge's Leander crew repelled in the last few strokes.

Partridge revealed the demanding lengths he had to go to to win at world rowing's most prestigious event.

"Before the regatta season, I worked on the farm at home and drove up midweek at 4am to train at Henley and again at the weekends.

"Doing two to three sessions a day under the direction of the Beijing GB eights coach, I worked on the rowing machine, lifted weights and sculled a bit on the Wye during the week before heading for Henley to train on the Thames. It's been incredibly tough, but really worth it."

Rowing wasn't his first love, though, he explained.

"I wanted to be a professional rugby player, but I was getting injured a lot playing in the second row and I realised I wasn't going to be big enough, so I switched to rowing.

"I rowed in the Hereford four that reached the quarter-finals three years ago and several clubmates were at Henley this time to shout me on.

"Club coach Ed Bainbridge suggested I try out for Leander, and I trialed and got in. It's been a huge sacrifice, with a lot of hard work, but it's been worth it.”

"I'll be back on the farm working again now, and I don't know whether I can keep the rowing going next year, but for now I'm going to enjoy that winning feeling."