Double win for NanoDTC in the Boat Race
NanoDTC had double reason to celebrate in the 2023 Lightweight Boat Race, with both a rower and coach from the programme contributing to a standout Cambridge victory.
PhD student Gemma Swan (c2020) was selected for the Cambridge Lightweight Women’s Blue Boat, competing against Oxford in one of the most prestigious events in the rowing calendar. The team delivered an exceptional performance, winning by an impressive six boat lengths — contributing to a historic “clean sweep” year in which Cambridge claimed victory across all men’s and women’s races.
Gemma, who also served as Vice President of the club that year, reflected on the experience:
“We ended up winning the race by six boat lengths and it was part of a clean sweep year for Cambridge. I was especially chuffed as I was Vice President that year.”
Adding to the achievement, the team was coached by Dr Matthew Griffiths (NanoDTC Cohort 2013) — making it a true NanoDTC double win.
Now leading his startup ConcR, Matthew balanced the demands of elite coaching alongside running a business:
“We were incredibly lucky to have Matthew as our coach. He was up at 5am coaching us in Ely, then jumping on a Teams call at 7:30 to run his startup. Not quite sure how he packed it all in!”
The shared NanoDTC connection made the win even more special, with members of the Nano community turning out to support on race day.
Reflecting on the intensity of the experience, Gemma added:
“I can’t say I miss training 21 hours a week on top of the PhD, but it was one of the most incredible opportunities I’ve ever had. We wouldn’t have achieved what we did without Matthew.”
A huge congratulations to both Gemma and Matthew on an outstanding achievement — on and off the water.