Nat Toms set to become first woman to cox a British U23 Men’s Eight

The U19 World Champion broke barriers in 2023 and is doing it again this weekend. Nat Toms on ambition, mentors and backing yourself fully

The Cambridge Dictionary defines a trailblazer as ‘the first person to do something or go somewhere, who shows that it is also possible for other people.’

While Nat Toms might not view herself as this, she’s made history twice, carving a path for female coxes in the sport to follow.

In 2023, Toms made history. She was the first British woman to cox not just the U19 Men’s Eight, but any British Men’s Eight. This weekend she’ll write a fresh chapter into that book as she becomes the first woman to cox a British U23 Men’s Eight.

“I don’t know if it’s too soon yet to say that I’m a trailblazer. I feel within myself I’m still yet to do something in coxing that I’m really, truly proud of,” said the Royal Shrewsbury School Boat Club alumna.

“Part of my goal is to be the first girl to cox the men at every age level before somebody else does it. If you’d told me at the beginning of this year that I would be two-thirds of the way to completing that goal, I don’t think I would have believed you. I thought I was quite a few years off.”

Now at Harvard University, Toms is fully immersed in the Harvard Men’s Heavyweight programme, coached by Charley Butt and training alongside plenty of teammates from the UK, including Kynan Tallec-Botos who Toms will steer down the course in the Men’s Eight.

Credit: AllMarkOne

Toms steered the second Varsity Eight throughout her Freshman year, culminating in a silver medal at the IRA National Championship Regatta. During the final at Cooper River, New Jersey, the crew clocked a 05:26.87, one of the standout moments from her coxing career to date. This year, she’s been racing in the Varsity Eight, dominating Yale at the annual Harvard-Yale regatta, winning the Eastern Sprints, and placing fourth overall at the National Championships.

“Harvard has been absolutely phenomenal. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. It’s been quite a magical two years, getting to try out things I would never have dreamed of. The whole thing really adds to not just who I am as a cox, but who I am as a person.

“I think getting to really form a bond with the guys on the team, and particularly forming a bond with my own class, has been a particular highlight. Especially last year. I’ve never had that feeling of feeling so close and having such mutual respect with a group of really great guys, and it means a lot to me.

“I think as a cox, one of the hardest parts is how you gel with your crew. It’s kind of hard to be their friend, but it’s also hard not to be their friend. Getting to be part of a team culture, which I love so much, really means a lot.

As Toms continues to develop as a cox, there are plenty of coxes that she has looked up to over the years. This led to a full-circle moment on the Saturday of this year’s Henley Royal Regatta as Toms steered the Nautilus Rowing Club crew.

“There’s been a long line of phenomenal coxes before me, coming through these shoes and beyond. I wish I could name all of them.

“Ben Ray graduated from Harvard just before I joined. Not only was he a great help in convincing me to come to Harvard, but he also then continued as an alumnus to be really good support. When I moved into the Varsity this year, he had such a rapport with those boys that he gave me such valuable insight when I saw him throughout the year. He gave me a look into how those boys operated and worked. I don’t know if I would have been able to make it through this year as I have without him.

“As well as him, Erin Kennedy has been a big inspiration. It was phenomenal to race against her on the Saturday of the Ladies’ Plate against Leander. It was awesome to know that was her last year racing. I didn’t even feel nervous; I just felt so privileged.

“Coming up to that start line next to her, I felt like, wow, okay, I’m in the big leagues now, getting to race this kind of person. Morgan Baynham-Williams has been really good support to me through the year too. Knowing what a coxswain can be, from those people, really paves the way for what younger coxes can do.”

Credit: Benedict Tufnell

Paving the way for the next generation of coxes is something that Toms herself is doing. Coxing development in the UK still has a long way to come; however, thanks to the work of The Winning Cox, whose mentors include the likes of Kennedy and Baynham-Williams, coxes across the country are getting the support they need and deserve to grow their skillset, confidence, and help them achieve their ambitions within the sport.

After her rise through the junior rankings, which included being named Captain of Boats at RSSBC, Tom has plenty of advice for the next generation of coxes in this country.

“I would like to hope that for young girls in school and club programmes who are thinking, ‘Hey, I want to get in those big boats,’ I would like to think that by me doing it, it shows that it is very possible and very doable. As someone who, through the years, has had some quiet doubts, thinking, ‘Maybe I’m not a men’s cox, maybe this isn’t for me,’ actually, it is. Keep pushing through those moments, because if you want something, you can have it.

“I think what I would have liked to hear as a junior is that you should back yourself a lot more, perhaps more than you think you should. I think overconfidence can sometimes lead you down the wrong path, but confidence up until that point will take you far. If you have the skill set to be good but don’t trust that you are good enough, then the only person holding you back is you.

“It would be one of the greatest shames to go through life having all this unrealised potential just because you were the only person telling yourself, ‘I don’t think I can do this.’ So just having that self-confidence and self-belief is everything.”