ROWING:WHEN MARTIN Walsh was named yesterday in the Oxford crew for the Boat Race it was the realisation of a childhood dream – and the product of years of persistence and tough training.
“This is something I’ve dreamed of all my life,” said the 24-year-old Dubliner, who was only a schoolboy when he followed his brother James into Neptune rowing club at Islandbridge.
“When I started rowing in Neptune I remember watching the Boat Race. I always look back on that. I remember asking (Neptune mentor) Ray Boyle could we get the afternoon off to watch it. His response was, ‘do they come and watch you?’. ”
Walsh laughs. “We didn’t get the session off.”
He was accepted into Oxford in 2007, but becoming part of the Oxford blue boat proved to be a long-haul affair. At 1.96 metres (6ft 5in), Walsh is tall, but his rowing weight in recent years of 85 kilograms (13st 5lb) was low compared to the giants who powered Oxford to success in the last two-boat races. Walsh pushed hard for a place, but had to settle for the reserve boat, Isis. He won on both occasions, but it wasn’t the big prize.
His career goal is to study medicine in Dublin, but at the beginning of this academic year he returned to Oxford and signed up for a Masters in Research in Orthopaedic Surgery.
The aim was Easter Saturday 2010 and the famed trip from Putney to Mortlake. Even before term started, in early August, he was doing two sessions a day, and he has now bulked up to a racing weight of 90kg (14st 2lb).
“To be honest, once I decided to come back it was the blue boat or it would have been a disaster for me in terms of what I had set my mind to,” he says. He would, of course, have rowed with Isis if chosen. “But it was the blue boat or this year has been a waste. I would have really let myself down.”
Now, on the brink of appearing in what is one of the great rowing – indeed sporting – occasions, he makes a point of thanking the coach of his youth in Dublin.
“If I had to say who was the most influential person on my rowing career, without a doubt it was Walter Maguire. He did so much for me, was fantastic to me.”
Neptune were booming then, and Walsh has nine national titles under his belt. But rowing has a notoriously high burn off rate.
“Of all the guys in my crew back then, they’ve all stopped the sport.Maybe thinking why are they doing this. It’s tough – mentally tough – to keep going when things aren’t going well.”
Success for Walsh means he now trains twice a day, six days a week. Moving up a level and his extra bulk may help him to success in Ireland colours, and a long-term aim is to represent his native country in 2012 in London.
But all these thoughts are for another day. When the Oxford boat passes Fulham Football Club in 32 days’ time, Walsh will be one of those who can be deemed an Oxford blue.
“I’m really excited about the race. I can’t wait for it now. I think we’re a really good crew and we can take it to Cambridge on April 3rd. It’s been a dream of mine for years. It’s great to be fulfilling that dream.”
