On this very bright day, we got to the boathouse to find W2 and W3 all greenery-ed, taking crew pictures and enjoying their victory – pressure got a bit higher, we wanted this last bump so badly, and we knew it was in us!
We had a strong row up in the sun, with a kick-ass practice start! Parked at station 12, Coach Mark gave his last advices, and we got ready for the count down, under the scrutiny of the College’s president.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, … GUN! Off we got, with a strong powerful start, determined not to let LMBC catch up on us at any point, and focused on the bump we were rowing towards. We got our 1st whistle before the Motorway Bridge, spirits got lifted, and so did our beloved Octopussy. Pembroke, in for Spoons, was determined to hold us off and we knew we’d have to grind them down. The rhythm never really stabilized, as we were pushing harder and harder, stroke after stroke, eager to hear the next whistles:
“Push for the President!”.
“Push for all those spectators cheering and screaming!”
Three whistles!
“Push harder, stronger!”
Finally, continuous whistles! The boat got faster, and sitting at 2, I started seeing the tip of Pembroke’s stern in my peripheral vision. Race faces on, we got angrier, and before I knew it, my blade was on their stern!
“AND BOOOOM: WE STRIKE AGAIN!” (I thought)
We pulled in at First Post Corner, and Mark got deforestating one last time for this Lent Campaign. The beloved greenery in our hair, we rowed back blissfully.
I cannot tell whether it is because it is my first Bumps campaign, or if it simply is happening to every rower, but bumping makes me freaking ecstatic (it happens to all of us. The editor.), and I have been all pumped up for the past three nights! Today was especially fantastic, with the sun out, and all those people gathered on the bank to cheer. It was also a beautiful race, one that my muscles will remember, that’s for sure. We unleashed the fire (Christina’s coxing calls are pretty amazing), and gave Pembroke all we had.
To finish off, I think it is also important to recognize how much good Lent Bumps as done to MECBC: we all come out stronger, as a unified boat club. There has been some intense crew- and boat club-bonding going on & our Facebook group has never been so active, with all those motivational speeches, playlists, and pictures!
This calls for a song.
“It might seem crazy what I’m ’bout to say
Sunshine’s here, you can take a stroke!
— that being said, we’d take it anyway if it was raining/snowing etc
— nothing stops us
[…]
Because Imma boatie
Smack your blade if you feel like bumping is the truth
Because Imma boatie
Row along if you know what rowing means to you
Because Imma boatie
Row along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do”
Well, I am HAPPY, and I will now proceed to some happy dance moves!
Laurane Saliou