Among the many OEs representing their Universities and Clubs at Henley Royal Regatta last week was alumnus Ben Thomson (2010-17), who, along with his Thames Rowing Club ‘A’ Men’s Eight crew, won the Thames Challenge Cup, beating K.A.R.Z.V. De Hoop from the Netherlands.

A brilliant start on Sunday, the final Raceday, saw Thames draw out a lead of nearly four lengths as they raced through the Enclosures and towards the finish line, which Ben was first to cross.

On winning this prestigious race which has been a permanent Henley Regatta fixture since 1868, Ben tells us “I am delighted to have won, we have trained really hard all year for this race and came up against some really tough competition from UK clubs and also crews from Munich, Sydney and Amsterdam. Crossing the finish line first felt really special”.

At RGS, Ben studied A Levels in Chemistry, Biology and Maths, going onto the University of Oxford where he secured a Masters in Chemistry. Whilst at RGS, Ben enjoyed taking part in the Rowing and Debating teams and was School Captain. He remembers his time at RGS well, saying “I loved my time at RGS, I had so many opportunities to learn and try new things while I was there. In particular, I learned to row whilst I was at RGS and I fondly look back on all the time spent training on the River Severn with my friends. I would like to thank my coach whilst I was at school, Jane Sullivan; she pushed us all to be better and played a huge role in making the sport as fun as it was."

As well as rowing, Ben works as an Analyst for Perason Ham, an award-winning consultancy firm who advise their clients on pricing.

Well done to Ben and all his Thames Rowing Club crew on this wonderful performance and superb achievement.