Tabitha Butterfill (LX 2019-24) has recently been selected as the Women's Captain at Durham University Boat Club. Adelaide (6b, Morpurgo House) caught up with Tabitha in Durham to talk about her rowing journey, leadership role and life at university.

Share a favourite memory from your time at King’s

A lot of my favourite memories from King's involve singing, which is funny as I've never been particularly good at it! I was lucky enough to win House Song twice while I was there, and both of those evenings are among my favourite memories. My other favourite memory, and maybe the thing I miss the most, is definitely congers, specifically the first whole-school congers back in Shirley Hall after Covid restrictions were lifted.

How did you get into rowing?

I think, like a lot of people, my first introduction to Rowing was watching the boat race on TV as a child. I first tried it for myself in Shell, partially at my parents encouragement but mostly because I'd had enough of hockey. The next two years were fairly disrupted due to Covid, but I would say I properly caught the bug in Fifth and haven't stopped since. 

What makes a good rower?

Mostly stubbornness, I think. I’m not very good at letting a session go badly, and I’ll keep trying to fix a weakness until I feel like I've solved it. I’m also quite competitive, which helps, because I get as much out of training in a big squad and pushing off my team mates, as I do out of racing. I think being process-oriented is also important because it helps make the long blocks of training between races feel important and worthwhile. Being 5'11" also probably doesn’t hurt. 

What does your role as Women’s Captain at Durham involve?

My role as women’s captain this year at DUBC is mostly intermediary. I’m the link between the coaching team and the rest of the squad, so if the coaches want to get a message across, or if people have concerns they’d rather not raise themselves, it tends to come through me. A lot of it is just making sure everyone is on the same page and that small issues get sorted before they turn into big ones.

I also see a large part of the job as leading from the front. When a session is hard, particularly in the middle of winter training, people look to see how the captain is handling it. So, I try to bring some positivity and encouragement, and to set the tone by working as hard as I’m asking everyone else to. I think the two sides of the role fit together quite well. If the squad trusts you to pass things on honestly, they’re more willing to follow your lead when the training gets tough.

What do you plan to do after university?

I’d love to stay in academia for a bit longer once I’ve finished my undergrad. I’m in the middle of applying to master’s programmes at the moment, so ask me again in a few months and I might have a better idea where I’ll be. Beyond that, I’m trying not to plan too far ahead. I’d also like to keep rowing in some form, though I’ll wait to see where I end up and what the club scene is like there. 

Which athletes inspire you and why?

I really admire Eileen Gu’s approach to training and competing. She’s also incredibly articulate, so any interview she gives is well worth listening to. Her maxim of training like you’ve never won and competing like you’ve never lost really resonates with me, especially in a sport like rowing where you put in hours of work to get yourself to the point where you’re ready to be on a start line, and even then the outcome is never guaranteed. So the idea of not taking anything for granted in training, but also racing without fear of what might go wrong is a helpful balance to try and strike. I’ve also been lucky to train with some insanely driven and gritty people throughout my time at Durham. Being around people who are putting in the same work and holding themselves to a high standard rubs off on you, and they continue to inspire the way I train, probably more than any one famous athlete. 

What are your hobbies outside of rowing?

Pub quizzes and darts. I’m not very good at either, but I’m very committed to both! 

What advice would you give to a new Shell at King’s?

Make the most of living somewhere this beautiful while you can! I was definitely aware of how lucky I was at the time, but I still could've appreciated it more. You’ll also never have more resources at your fingertips than you do at school. At university they're available to you, but you have to seek them out yourself. At King's there's a constant stream of events, talks and workshops, and I’d say make the most of every single one. Now I've left, I realise how much was laid on for me and wish I had appreciated it more at the time. 

Our Community Spotlight series celebrates members of the King's Association community and their stories. If you'd like to be featured, we'd love to hear from you. Please contact the Development Office: community@kings-school.co.uk