Vet Sculler settles score at Head of the Charles

While Martin Cross’s report posted yesterday records the success of GB’s junior rowing, Susan Brown, veteran single sculler from Cambridge, had also headed to Boston to take part in the Head of the Charles.  She went out to compete in the Women’s Senior Masters Singles (40+)  and was clearly over the moon when she came first after disappointment in 2008.  

In September Susan was the fastest WC1x at FISA Masters Regatta in Vienna over a 1000m course and said it had not been easy to train for both events.  She originally learned to row at St Annes College, Oxford but having lost twice with the Dark Blues she defected to Cambridge and won gold medals at the National Championships in CUWBC VIII in 1984 and 1986.

After four years of trying for a place in the GB rowing team and making it as far as the U23 four in 1984 and Home International pair in 1985 she decided to call it a day, get married and have children. But the urge to race didn’t go away and Susan has been a regular at the FISA World Masters since 1998.

Susan says that the win last weekend was special for her as she had lost in the single once to Ellen Kennelly who was the undefeated Head of the Charles local Cambridge MA lady, "I had posted second from a start place of seventeen the previous year and had to go and finish the job, which I did, beating Ellen Kennelly who has had an undefeated reign for years!