LMH graduate student Heidi Long (2024, MSc in Women’s and Reproductive Health) will take her place at Stroke in the Oxford Women’s Boat for the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race on Saturday 4 April 2026.
As President of the Oxford University Women’s Boat Club, Heidi is leading the squad into one of the biggest events in the sporting calendar, as they aim to overturn Cambridge’s eight-year winning streak. She brings a wealth of experience to the crew, having won Olympic bronze in the Women’s Eight at Paris 2024, alongside World and European titles in the Women’s Four.
The Boat Race will be broadcast live on Channel 4 from 1.30pm to 4.30pm.
We caught up with Heidi ahead of race day to hear about her journey into rowing, the challenge of balancing elite sport with academic life, and what the Boat Race means to her.
How did you get into rowing?
A few friends and I signed up to as many sports clubs as we could when we started secondary school, one of which was rowing! It was one session a week, but I really enjoyed it from the start. I then joined Marlow Rowing Club when I was 13 and was part of their junior squad. I absolutely loved Marlow Rowing Club and got to train with an amazing squad who were ambitious, determined, fiercely completive but also had a lot of fun. It was both the people and the friendships I made through rowing as well as the sport itself that inspired me and has made me love it so much.
What does it mean to you to represent Oxford in the Boat Race?
Representing Oxford in the Boat Race is an absolute honour. This university and boat club are filled with incredible people, and I am grateful every day for the opportunity to train and work with them. I am proud to wear dark blue and race for Oxford University in the Boat Race this year.
What has the training been like in the lead-up to the Boat Race, and how have you balanced it with your academic work?
We train twice a day 6 days a week from the start of pre-season in September. It isn’t easy balancing training with academic commitments but being on a team and working together makes a huge difference. We will often have study sessions together, work on minibuses or between training sessions and support each other when it gets hard.
How are you feeling about being involved in an event with such a rich history?
The boat race is an epic sporting event which has been a staple in the British sporting calendar for nearly 200 years. The history that interweaves the races and the hard work of every athlete that has worked to enable women to compete in the Boat Race is inspiring. It is amazing to be one of the links that connects all those who came before us and all those who will be part of Oxford University Boat Club in the future.
What are you most excited about for the day itself?
I am so excited for the Boat Race!! There are so many things I love and am looking forward to. I am often really nervous before racing, so getting on the water first thing in the morning for our final pre-paddle helps me centre and focus on what is ahead. It is before the crowds have started to arrive and you can just enjoy rowing with your crew. I also love the final words we say to each other and connecting each of the members of my crew before the bay doors rise and we step out into the noise and excitement of the Putney Embankment.
