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Interviewing the European Rowing Championships 2016 competitor, Will Satch

13 Apr 2016   |   0 Comments

With the Rio Olympics 2016 looming towards us, we caught up with Great Britain’s Olympic rowing medallist and world champion, Will Satch. Having won bronze in the men’s pair at the London Olympics in 2012, to his continued success becoming world champion in the men’s eight three consecutive years in a row, it’s safe to say Will has been busy. Now being chosen for the men’s eight in the European Rowing Championships, means his schedule will be hectic and more gruelling than ever.

Hi Will, so what are you up to these days?

Hiya, so at the moment it’s been all about full time training morning until evening. I also do weight sessions up 2/3 times a week, so really busy! We’ve come back from a training camp in Portugal which has been really tough but brilliant.

Hmm…I’m not convinced Portugal sounds tough! So what does your usual training day consist of?

Ok well here’s my day in a nut shell:

6:30am – Wake up, take a urine sample and have my heart rate monitored.

7:00am – First breakfast which is usually porridge. Then we do 20km on the water or we do a weights session.

10:00am – Second breakfast which is a cooked breakfast, which we need after the first session!

11:00am – 20km on the water or weights again.

1:00pm – Lunch which is often lean meats, high carbs and milk. That’s rounded off with a 40min energy nap.

2:30/3:00pm – 18k – 12k of training.

5:00pm – collapsing to a finish!

Ok wow…so I take my words back! That does sound very strenuous and exhausting. On that note then, what do you love most about being at home and how do you relax?

I think for me, it’s being able to switch off. Rowing is amazing, but it’s nice to come home and be able to chill out. To relax I pretty much like going out for a pint, playing rugby and doing something outside of rowing. I also love taking the dog for a walk and I’m actually becoming a bit of a coffee connoisseur.

Sounds good and well needed! What keeps you motivated when you’ve reached your lowest ebb then?

For me, rowing gave me structure and dedication. When I used to get up early to row, it really started my day and kept me on the right path. Now when that low point comes…and it does come with the pressure, I look towards the final goal. It helps being ultra-competitive and also it makes my mum happy!

How lovely, so I think I know the answer to this, but what is the best bit about rowing?

Being ultra-competitive, it has to be the success and winning! But as well as that, it’s the comradery that you get from your teammates. We’re all in it together and we all share our accomplishments. I wouldn’t be able to do it without all the support I get from all my friends and family though and also CDS’ sponsorship.

It must definitely be nice to hold your Olympic medals! So to finish off can we have a fun fact about yourself and what you would do if you weren’t a rower?

If I wasn’t a rower, I would’ve tried to pursue a career in rugby. Otherwise probably carpentry or painting, as I am really fond of art. As for a fun fact, I used to sing in the school choir and my favourite songs were all in Latin!

On that high note, we wish Will and his teammates all the best for the upcoming European Rowing Championships and look forward to their successes! We will be following them closely and giving updates and support along the way.