Rower Aldred’s journey from the grandstand to the start line

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Rower Mark Aldred watched from the grandstand as Great Britain’s lightweight four took an Olympic silver medal at London 2012. Now he’s in the boat, hoping to help them go one step further.

Putney resident Aldred, 27, joins three of those silver medallists – Richard Chambers, Peter Chambers and Chris Bartley – in the crew competing at the European Championships in Belgrade this weekend.

But just two years ago he was part of the “Dorney Roar”, cheering the crew and his London RC club-mate Rob Williams in a nail-biting final. Williams has since retired and Aldred has stepped up to replace him.

“I was in the friends-and-family stand at the 250m mark at Dorney because I knew Rob,” says Aldred, who is training to become a patent attorney.

“I had trialled [for Great Britain] once with no success. I worked full-time and didn’t really believe that it might happen. To step in now Rob has retired is really exciting.”

A former cross-country runner who completed the London Marathon in 2007, Aldred took up rowing at Cambridge University and competed in the Lightweight Boat Race against Oxford, losing in 2008 but winning the following year.

Lightweight rowing requires men’s crews to average 72.5kg (11st 6lb), and no one member can be over 75kg.

“It wasn’t the [heavyweight] Boat Race but the whole system of training for one race, laying it all on the line, captured my imagination,” he explains.

“We won in 2009 in a good crew and I thought it might be the sport for me.”

Aldred moved to London in 2010 and had plenty of success at club level, winning at Henley Royal Regatta in 2011, but still had to learn to compete in the single scull – the only route for a lightweight into the national squad.

“I trialled in 2011 but was that guy who was good on the rowing machine but not so good on the water,” he says.

“In 2012 I went away and focused on the single with a view to going for it in 2013.”

Last season saw him break into the squad and win bronze at the World Championships in Korea, in the lightweight pair, a development event that is not part of the Olympic programme.

This year his eighth place at trials in April have seen him join three crew-mates have been to four Olympics.
Aldred’s place is only guaranteed for this weekend, but crews tend to stay together for a whole season.

He will expect to be in the line-up for the World Championships in Amsterdam in August, and further crew and individual success would see the quartet compete at the next Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

“Getting into the four is great but I realise the hard works starts now. It’s one thing getting into the boat, but you’ve got to make it fast,” Aldred admits.

“I won’t lie: it’s a little bit daunting stepping into it for the first time but they’ve been very welcoming. There’s so much knowledge to learn from and things to pick up on.”

That 2012 Olympic final saw Great Britain pipped to the line by South Africa, amid claims of an unfair lane draw given a wind blowing across the course. Aldred says his crew is only looking forwards, though.

“The general attitude is we want to win every race. Yes, the Olympics is the Olympics, but we want to win the Europeans, the World Cups and do as well as we can in every race,” he insists.

“The crew has moved on from that and is focusing on this season.”

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