Godolphin and Latymer School in Hammersmith, London is celebrating after former pupil Alex Riddell-Webster was part of the winning Cambridge women’s boat race crew yesterday (Sun, March 26).
Alex, who rows in the No.3 spot, first learnt to row at Godolphin and Latymer and is now studying computer science at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge.
Mr Benton, Alex’s first coach when she started rowing as a J14, said: “Alex always showed great potential and we’re so proud of her for representing Great Britain at the age of 17 and now going on to win the boat race with Cambridge. Her experience of rowing on the Thames Tideway really proved advantageous in a race with such challenging conditions and very choppy waters.”
Cambridge’s women secured their sixth consecutive win over Oxford by four-and-a-quarter lengths despite a very strong start by the dark blue crew, before Cambridge took control of the race. The Cambridge men also won their race, following a very bold manoeuvre by their cox, which secured the double for the light blues.
Godolphin and Latymer hopes that their rowing programme will continue to nurture girls keen to follow in Alex’s footsteps. Already this season their first eight placed second at the Schools Head of the River on the Thames while their J15s took bronze at the National Junior Sculling Head at Eton Dorney.