A SCHOOL is reintroducing rowing after more than 100 years – in the hope of producing a future Olympian.
Rowing has not been on the curriculum at Wychwood School for more than a century.
However from September, younger pupils at the all-girls school in Banbury Road will be taking part.
It follows a partnership with the Hinksey Sculling School, which saw Wychwood take part in the Big Row 2021.
Wychwood headmistress Andrea Johnson said: “We hadn’t done rowing for a while so we partnered with Hinksey and I think we did brilliantly at the Big Row.
“It was a really fabulous penultimate week of term event – it was such a joyful week.
“Our director of sports did a fantastic job when introducing it to the girls, telling them about the history and how good it is for you.
“Rowing isn’t like running or cycling – it’s a full body workout.
“It will be in the curriculum for Years 7 and 8, and upwards as these girls get older.
“We’ve got some of the older girls who are really interested and they’ll do it as extra curriculum.”
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The long-term goal at Wychwood is to create an Olympic rower, off the back of a Games where Team GB slumped in a sport it usually dominates.
Ms Johnson said: “Our ambition is to get the girls at the big regattas and to compete with the bigger schools.
“We want to make Olympians out of this – we want to see a Wychwood girl go and row at the Olympics.”
Team GB won just two medals in rowing at the Tokyo Olympics, with the sport receiving more funding than any other Olympic one in the last five years.
The beginning of Wychwood’s ambition to create an Olympian saw the school take part in the Big Row 2021.
Partnering with Hinksey Sculling School, Wychwood raised £2,041 for completing a collective distance of 4,935 km.
That individually ranked Wychwood number two in the country.
In addition to rowing, the school is also launching a performing arts club, in partnership with The Oxford School of Drama, from September.
Edward Hicks, principal of The Oxford School of Drama, said: “Our aim is that all students with talent and commitment, no matter what their background, are given important skills to take forward for life, and that having trained on our professional courses, they can not only be part of the industry but perhaps even change it.
“We are delighted to be part of this exciting new partnership with Wychwood School, to encourage and inspire the next generation of talent.”
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