Bitter Sweet Boat Race for Putney Rower
Seb Benzecry missed out on chance to row past his home and school
Seb Benzecry rowing for Princeton. Picture: Beverly Schaefer
There were mixed emotions for Seb Benzecry last Sunday (4 April) as he rowed to victory with the Cambridge crew in the University Boat Race.
Although he was obviously delighted with the win, he missed out on the chance to row past his home and his school due to the relocation of the race.
Concerns over the safety of Hammersmith Bridge and overcrowding on the Thames Path meant the race was relocated to Cambridgeshire where only a small number of people were present to see the Light Blues win by just less than a length.
Cambridge got away to a fast start going two full lengths up and Oxford came close to overhauling them but were unable to sustain their challenge.
Seb grew up in Putney and he started rowing as a schoolboy at St Pauls School where he rowed for the first eight and was Captain of the Boat Club in his final year.
Having studied for four years at Princeton University in the USA where he continued to row, he has spent the last year studying for a Masters at Cambridge University.
His mother Amanda said, “Rowing demands a massive time commitment and a huge amount of physical effort with respect to the rigorous training regime – and Seb was fortunate this year to be part of a lovely crew that bonded so well (five of them shared a house together in a rowing bubble!) .
“Much more than wanting to beat Oxford Seb has said that he just wanted the crew to produce a performance that they could all be proud of and represented the very best they could offer.
“And they did - and we couldn’t be more proud!”
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April 9, 2021
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