By Jess Bourne
A Paramedicine student who had never tried rowing before starting at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has won gold in a national championship.
First year student Lizzie Webster took first and second place medals at the British University Championships (BUCS) Regatta.
The event was held at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham between April 29 and May 1 and universities from all over the UK attended.
The BUCS consists of head-to-head races against six other teams.
Having never rowed before, Lizzie, 19, said she decided impulsively to try out with the DMU Rowing team in the weeks after she started her studies.
She said: “I went to a taster session out of curiosity and then I was asked back.”
The regatta was her first-time rowing competitively. In April, ahead of the race, the DMU team was training on the River Soar in Loughborough, learning all about the technical aspects of rowing.
Lizzie took part in the Beginner Women’s single, Beginner Women’s double and Beginner Women’s Quad.
She added: “I was most nervous for the single race. It was not knowing what to expect as I had never done it before.
“I won the semi-finals, and it gave me the confidence to win the final.”
During the competition days, there was constant rowing, and all the teams were supporting each other during the races.
“I can’t believe I won because I wasn’t expecting to,” said Lizzie. “My legs and lungs were burning.”
Lizzie hopes that she will be able to win senior BUCS Regatta medals in the future.
“There’s never something you can’t work on,” she said.
DMU also came fifth in the Beginner Men’s 4x (A Final) and sixth in the Men’s Lightweight 4x (A Final).
DMU Rowing is now looking towards the Metropolitan Regatta in June and the Henley Women’s Regatta which takes place on the River Thames.
Information about DMU Rowing can be found on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Posted on Friday 19 May 2023