The Cantabs women’s squads each have dedicated coaches who write their training plans and coach all of their sessions. Between them, their rowing, coxing and coaching experience spans decades and they have been involved in coaching everyone from complete novices up to athletes who have competed at senior international championships.
Tom Copeland – Head Coach
Senior Women’s Squad
Tom has coached junior, senior, masters and para athletes at Cantabs since 2012. In that time he has coached crews to wins at WEHORR, Pairs Head, Fours Head, Henley Women’s, Ghent International Regatta, World Masters Regatta, British Rowing Masters Championships and medals at Nat Champs and Nat Schools. Cantabs athletes coached by Tom have been selected to race for England at the Home International Regatta on three occasions and, in 2015, Tom was highly commended for his club performance coaching at the British Rowing ‘Coach of the Year’ awards. Tom is is a British Rowing qualified Level 3 coach.
Chris Radbone
Senior Women’s Squad
Chris learned to row at Cantabs in 2013 as part of the Hills Road Sixth Form College Squad. Previously coach of novice men at Cardiff University, in recent years Chris has coached Cantabs crews to wins at Scullers Head, Pairs Head and Fours Head, and pre-qualifying for Henley Royal Regatta. Chris is a British Rowing qualified Level 2 coach, and is a nutrition and strength and conditioning specialist, with qualifications in both. In 2022, Chris won the British Rowing Rising Star award for the region.
Jon Winch
Senior Women’s Squad
Jon learned to row at Cantabs in 2003, rowing as part of the Senior Men’s Squad until he turned to coaching in 2010. In 2017, he coached the Cantabs B and C crews to club record finishes at WEHORR – the B crew were faster than all Cambridge college crews, and all but one town club A crew. He has also had tremendous success coaching masters crews, coaching them to golds at the British Rowing Masters Championships, Pairs Head of the River, Veteran Fours and Vets Head of the River Races every year for the last 4 years. Jon coaches the Cantabs’ juniors in addition to the Senior Women, where his crews have won silver at Nat Schools and Nat Juniors.
Will Cherry
Intermediate Women’s Squad
Will learned to row at the University of Leicester in 2015, before progressing onto the role of novice women’s captain in his 3rd year, where he coached the crews to a record result at WEHORR and top 20 results at BUCS Regatta across all entries. Since moving to Cambridge in 2018, Will has jumped in with both feet, becoming the Cantabs Learn to Row coordinator, coaching the Intermediate Women and rowing with our men’s squads. Will is an accredited UKAD adviser.
Oli Frazer
Senior Women’s Squad
Oli learned to row at Cantabs when he was 14, eventually becoming the club’s junior vice-captain. After leaving school, Oli rowed and coxed for the University of Warwick Boat Club. He then coached their novice women’s squad for a number of years, with his crews reaching the A finals at BUCS for Women’s Beginner 8s. After returning to Cambridge, Oli has coached the Hills Road Girls’ Squad and supported the coaching of the Senior Women’s Squad during the summer. Oli is a British Rowing qualified Level 2 coach.
David Winch
Progression Squad
David learned to row whilst studying at Cambridge in 1970, going on to win numerous blades in the Lent and May Bumps. After graduating, he went on to coach his former college’s crews, joining Cantabs in 2009 firstly as a rower in the Masters Men’s Squads. David won the Cantabs ‘Coach of the Year’ award in 2017 in recognition of his work in bringing on athletes in his squad and being able to have them progress into the Intermediate Women’s Squad.
