Struggling rower fulfilled childhood dream of Boat Race place

Matt Edge, who was in the stroke seat for Cambridge, says he tried to convince medics he only needed a banana to be fit for the trophy presentation

A Cambridge rower who appeared on the verge of collapse during the Boat Race said he "left it all out there" in a bid to help his team win.

Matt Edge, 23, was seen struggling to row in the final minutes of the race and credited his teammates for getting him to the finish line.

The Cambridge stroke confirmed he was not suffering from any water-related illness.

Crews had been warned to not enter the Thames due to high levels of E. coli.

Despite Edge's struggles, Cambridge held the lead to secure their fifth win in the last six men's races.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: "I think I shoved a few too many chips in when we needed to make that crucial move and could probably have held a bit back and saved some for later in the second half of the race."

He said he experienced blurred vision and was feeling "a bit rough" about 10 minutes into the race, but as it continued he said he feared he would collapse.

"The choice is between trying to help and putting your blade in or being a dead weight," he said.

"So I wanted to try and stick with it."

The Oxford crew revealed after the race that some members of the team had fallen ill, and criticised sewage levels in the Thames.

Edge said he felt "embarrassed" but it was a "really magical experience" to take part in the race, which he had dreamed of as a child.

"It's a great feeling having banked the win, something you can look back on and be proud of for the rest of your life and nothing is ever going to take that away," he said.

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He credited Cambridge's cox Ed Bracey for keeping calm and making him feel the rest of the crew were still in a strong position to win.

The Chemistry PhD student said: "I think the guys appreciated I kept trying to make it all the way down the line, I'm sure they would have all done the same in the same situation.

"It's a little bit embarrassing, we watched the race with the team the next morning and I got rightfully ribbed watching my blade flutter around and a big bit of drool hanging out.

"It's a great memory to have with a great team."

Matt Edge said he was thankful to his crew for getting across the line

Edge, who had to be carried from the boat at the finish, also thanked medics who "got me back on my feet really quickly" in time to spray Champagne during the trophy presentation.

He said he had been "blown off my feet" by the wave of concern shown and it hadn't put him off rowing in the Boat Race again.

"I think I'll try and make it to the end of the race next year," he said.