On the Friday before half-term, the J14 and J15 rowers competed at nationals, racing over 1km at Dorney lake. This is a highly anticipated competition, and our squad is so proud of the results we had. After arriving early to warm up and rig our boats, the day started off with a time trial, where our J15 four got into the B final and our J15 eight into the A final! We had quite a few hours in between so it was nice to be able to go back for food in our new marquee. In the evening, we had our side-by-side finals, in a six-lane race. Unlike the time trial, these races are set off from stakeboats, which is much more stressful and our amazing four placed third in their final. Next, the eight went and (after a very close and nerve-wracking race) we pulled through Henley’s eight to win a gold medal. It was an exhilarating day for all involved and I had a great time with our squad, achieving great results and spending time outside in the sun!