Chiswick teenager Sam Winter-Levy is set to become the youngest cox for over 100 years when he takes to the river with the Oxford crew for the 2011 X-Changing Boat Race.

Sam, who will be 18 years and nine months on 26th March, is studying English at New College Oxford.

Son of author Karen Liebreich, who many will know from her work with Abundance and Jeremy Levy a renal consultant at Charing Cross and Hammersmith Hospital who rowed at Cambridge, Sam began his coxing career in the First VIII at St Paul’s in 2007 and went on to cox the England boat in the Home Countries International regatta in 2009. He was coached by Cambridge Blue Henry Adams who encouraged him to trial for the Boat Race.

In September of each year a large group - often as many as 40 potential oarsmen and coxes - assemble at each of Oxford and Cambridge Universities hoping to prove their potential to win a seat in the "Blue" boat on Race Day. By December, after a series of cuts, both clubs have approximately 24 - 28 athletes left in their squad.

The coaches then race two crews from their squad over the Boat Race course to test their mettle under competition conditions.

Gradually, the Blue Boats and reserve crews take shape and a formal announcement of the line-ups takes place in early Spring - usually around four weeks before The Race itself.

Each member of the squad undertakes a gruelling programme of daily training throughout the year from September - April whilst juggling these commitments with their studies.

The Oxford crew, known as the "Dark Blues" because of the dark navy blue of the club’s colours, is organised, trained and selected by Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC).

OUBC’s training facility is part of the world-famous Iffley Road sports centre - where Sir Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four-minute mile. Here the crews work out on ergometers (indoor rowing machines) and work on rowing techniques using the indoor rowing tank.

March 18, 2011