Former Godolphin and Latymer Pupil in Winning Boat Race Crew


Alex Riddell-Webster rowed for the Cambridge women's eight this Sunday

Alex Riddell-Webster rowing 2nd from left for Godolphin and Latymer School
Alex Riddell-Webster rowing 2nd from left for Godolphin and Latymer School

March 27, 2023

A former pupil of Godolphin and Latymer School in Hammersmith was a member of a winning crew in this Sunday’s (26 March) University Boat Race.

Alex Riddell-Webster took up rowing at the school and she went on represent Great Britain aged 17 before she triumphed in the Cambridge women’s eight.

She was Captain of Boats at Godolphin and Latymer (2019-2020) before gaining a place at Cambridge University to read Computer Science. In her first two years at Cambridge Alex rowed in Blondie, the reserve women’s boat, but this year was delighted to step up to the 3-seat in Cambridge’s Women’sBlue Boat.

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.

Mr Benton, Alex’s first coach at the school where she started rowing as a J14, commented, ‘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.

In March the school welcomed New Zealand world and Olympic rowing champion, Grace Prendergast, to speak at their Boat Club dinner; Grace rowed in the 7-seat of the Cambridge women's eight who won the 2022 Boat Race. Mr Benton said, ‘we hope that we will be welcoming Alex back to the school in the near future to inspire our next generation of Godolphin rowers’

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