Graduate Student Heidi Long Leads Oxford Women’s Crew in Official Boat Race Challenge

Two women and two men dressed in University of Oxford and University of Cambridge Blazers stand on some steps. One woman holds a large silver trophy

Heidi Long (left) at the Presidents' Challenge event with the Cambridge Boat Club Presidents and OUBC Men's President Tobias Bernard (right).

LMH graduate student Heidi Long (2024, MSc by Research in Women’s and Reproductive Health), who is this year serving as President of the Oxford University Boat Club’s Women’s Crew, travelled to London on 1 October for the annual Presidents’ Challenge event that marks the renewal of rivalries for the 2026 Boat Race. The Presidents’ Challenge is a traditional ceremony in which the losing crew from the previous year’s Boat Race formally challenges the winning crew to a race, thus marking the start of the new Boat Race season.

As President, Heidi will lead the Oxford women’s squad as they prepare to take on Cambridge on Saturday 4th April 2026, looking to disrupt the light blues’ 8-year winning streak.

Heidi brings a huge amount of international experience to her role. She was part of the Women’s Eight that won bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, having previously claimed World and European titles in the Women’s Four in 2022.

Alongside her rowing, Heidi is pursuing a Master’s in Women’s and Reproductive Health at Oxford, researching the potential impact of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) on female fertility. Her work aims to raise awareness of the role of nutrition in long-term reproductive health and wellbeing.