We are delighted that Jack has joined our BRIT Ambassador family.
Jack is a Great Britain rower who has established himself as one of the country’s best scullers. He is a World and European Championship medallist and is Captain of Leander Club.
“Having been a university student, and competing with young rowers as part of the Great Britain Rowing Team for over 10 years, I know mental health can affect elite athletes just as much as it can have devastating consequences for students and young adults. I also have family members who have had and continue to face severe challenges with their mental health, so BRIT is a cause close to my heart. We need to do all we can to ensure young adults avoid suffering from long-term mental health difficulties by supporting charities who provide vital professional services and support. It is also important to signpost anyone who needs support and know the signs so that we can help friends and make sure they do not feel isolated or alone.
The British Inspiration Trust (BRIT) are a collaborative charity who are uniting the Education, Sport and Charity sectors to support and improve the mental health and fitness of millions of students and young adults throughout the UK. Their BRIT 2021 Challenge is a fantastic opportunity to improve the mental health and fitness of students at every UK university and college. All that universities and colleges need to do is embrace the challenge, enter a team and champion the opportunity to take part. Teams can be a whole university, students’ union, campus, department or even a sports team or rowing club; the idea is to encourage as many students and staff to take part as possible.
The BRIT 2021 Challenge is enabling students and young adults to unite wherever they are (at home or on campus) and take part in a feel-good challenge to raise vital funds for charities who support young adult mental health, all while improving mental health and fitness. There are many ways to add distance to your team’s target including wheel-chair pushing, walking, jogging, running, cycling, hand-cycling, swimming, adaptive rowing, rowing or paddling. Every rowing club in the UK can enter teams too and this could be a great opportunity for all members to maintain good health and fitness. I urge rowers throughout the UK to add their miles to the university, college or club 2,021 mile targets.
I am delighted to be joining the BRIT Ambassador family and look forward to encouraging and supporting students at Birkbeck, University of London as they take on the BRIT 2021 Challenge. I also hope to encourage my fellow Olympic, Paralympic and Great Britain rowers to join me as BRIT Ambassadors so together, we can encourage universities and colleges to enter teams and take on the BRIT 2021 Challenge”.
Jack was educated at Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School and then between 2013 and 2017, completed his Bachelor’s degree in Criminology at Birkbeck, University of London. He learned to row at Maidenhead Rowing Club.
Between 2014 and 2015, Jack was Vice-Captain at Leander Club.
In 2010, Jack made his Great Britain Rowing Team debut at the World Junior Championships in Racice, finishing just outside the medals.
He was then part of the quad that finished seventh at the 2011 World Junior Championships, before stepping up to the World U23 championship in 2012, where he finished seventh in the men’s double with Jonny Walton.
In 2013, he was fourth in the men’s quad at the World U23s, before winning bronze in the men’s double sculls with Angus Groom in 2014.
Since 2014, Jack has been a full-time Lottery Funded member of the Great Britain Rowing Team’s heavyweight men’s team. Jack has progressed through the GB Rowing Team age groups to firmly establish himself as one of Great Britain’s best scullers.
In 2015, Jack won the men’s single scull B final at the Great Britain Rowing Team Senior Trials, and was selected as a spare for the European Championships in Poznan. However, an injury to Charles Cousins, saw Jack step into the men’s quad scull with Graeme Thomas, Sam Townsend and Peter Lambert. They set a new championships record in the repechage before winning bronze in the final.
Jack recovered from a serious injury in 2016, and was selected with Nick Middleton in the men’s double scull at the World Cups in both Varese and Lucerne where they finished sixth in both races. The second sixth in Lucerne was just two hours after Jack has been subbed into the men’s quad a the last minute when Peter Lambert was taken ill on the morning of the race. Despite the short preparation time, the quad went on to win the silver.
Jack made his Olympic debut at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After the unfortunate Graeme Thomas was taken ill just four days before the Olympic Games, Jack answered the call and flew out to Brazil to take his place in the men’s quad scull alongside Sam Townsend, Angus Groom and Peter Lambert. They finished fourth in their heat, but improved throughout the regatta and were strong runners-up in their repechage before finishing fifth in the final.
At the first World Cup of the 2017 season, Jack won bronze in the men’s quad with Tom Barras, Jonny Walton and John Collins. Victory came at World Cup II in Poznan, with Peter Lambert subbed for Tom Barras, and the quad completed the set in Lucerne, by winning silver.
The crew were within touching distance of an historic gold at the World Championships in Saratosa-Bradenton, where, even after a last-second injury to Peter Lambert, the quad took an incredible silver medal with Graeme Thomas stepping in as substitute.
In 2018, Jack won silver at the World Rowing Cup I in Belgrade and gold at World Rowing Cup II in Linz Ottensheim, Austria. That same year, Jack won bronze at the European Rowing Championships in Glasgow.
Since 2018, Jack has been an Athlete Director at British Rowing.
In 2019, Jack won bronze at the European Rowing Championships in Lucerne and came eighth at the World Rowing Championships in Linz Ottensheim, qualifying the boat for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
In January 2020, Jack was appointed as Captain of Leander Club.
For more information on Jack and the Great Britain Rowing Team, please visit the British Rowing website.
Since 2012, when he is not abroad on a camp, Jack has been a voluntary Swimming Instructor at the Starfish Swimming Club, and became a Patron of the Club in 2016. Starfish is a swimming club in Maidenhead for children with learning disabilities. Jack’s primary role as Patron is to support the members and be a figurehead for the club. He also helps teach children to swim, have fun and gain confidence in the water.
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