GOING FOR GOLD

Just weeks after he first stepped into a boat, Matt Brigham (Medicine 2021) broke a University of Leeds rowing record. The 27-year-old doctor now has his sights set on an Olympic debut.

By the time of the Henley Regatta in 2019, the University of Leeds Boat Club (UOLBC) was well aware of Matt’s name, and soon the rowing world took notice, too. He was paired to race against New Zealand’s double Olympic gold medallist Mahé Drysdale in the single sculls. The unknown Leeds student pulled clear early on – and won.

Matt smiles at the memory. “That was a surprise,” he says. “And I’m rowing better now.”

He was given the nickname “Kingslayer” after the shock result. An Olympic trial followed, but he failed to qualify for Tokyo 2020. That, Matt explains, was down to technical aspects of his rowing.

He’d only stepped into a boat four years before after being persuaded to give it a go at the University Freshers’ Fair. Things progressed quickly: “I had a basic level of fitness because I’d swum from a young age. Plus I’m tall, so I had the right physique.”

It was clear UOLBC had discovered a unique athlete. Since breaking a University “erg” record – the indoor rowing machines used through the winter – during a novice training camp, Matt set records for the two-kilometre distance and the 30-minute time trial, going 400 metres further than any student had previously managed. He also took a silver medal at the prestigious British University Championships.

Alumni scholarship support provided Matt with a top-end boat, which made a significant difference in races – and will eventually be given back to Leeds to benefit future scholars.

Since Tokyo, Matt has spent time in and out of the GB rowing team. He is taking a short career break from his position as a junior doctor to allow for a final push ahead of Paris, and three gruelling training sessions a day. “My physiology is there, but I have technical things to work on. I’m currently in the development squad, and I’m adapting my stroke to fit the Team GB technical model.”

The aim, as Matt explains, is to build the foundations to make the Olympic team – potentially for Paris, if not Los Angeles 2028. “What’s important is that when I get back into the team, I stay there.”