Wales' Jack Tottem 'living the dream' as GB women's eight cox

Jack Tottem (centre), will guide Great Britain's women's eight at the World Rowing Championships in Shanghai.

Jack Tottem knows how to win some of rowing's biggest races.

He steered Oxford to victory in the 2022 Boat Race, and now the 24-year-old from Monmouth is guiding Great Britain's women's eight at the World Rowing Championships in Shanghai.

He is the sole male voice in the boat – a scenario that until recently would not have been possible.

Before 2017, coxswains had to be the same sex as their crew, but a rule change opened the door for Tottem to take charge.

"For me, the challenge is the same in any eight," he told BBC Sport Wales. "You've got nine people in the boat, a coach on the bank, and the job is to create unity of purpose. That's what really matters."

Finding his place

Tottem first picked up coxing at Monmouth School in 2015, later racing at Oxford University and then with Leander Club in Henley.

This year he broke into the national squad full-time, and is now guiding one of Britain's flagship boats.

"I was always obsessed with sport growing up," he said.

"But I was smaller and less athletic than most, and would always get smashed around on the rugby pitch, but coxing was something I could sink my teeth into and allowed me to be involved in a team sport without my lack of physicality inhibiting that.

"It's felt like a nice progression to get to this point."

Unity has already brought results

Since March, Tottem has been working daily with the women's eight, helping shape the crew's rhythm and spirit.

"I've made a conscious effort to get to know everyone individually," he said. "My role is about relieving pressure from the athletes, and helping each of them to be the fullest version of themselves.

"If we get the most out of everyone's personality, then we build a real crew identity – and I think we've done good work on that."

That unity has already brought results, with gold medals at the European Championships and World Rowing Cup.

"It's been quite an intense season in many ways,"

"We sat down as a team and as a crew and set some really clear goals – winning a [World Championships] gold medal is at the top of that list.

"We've had some good races already this season at the European Championships and the World Cup, but the step up at the Worlds will be huge. We're under no illusions about the scale of the task."

'A big Welsh family'

Away from the water, Tottem admits he sometimes has to pinch himself at how far he has come.

"I try and say to myself as often as possible that we're living the dream," he said.

"I feel privileged to do this, and grateful for the support we get from UK Sport and the lottery – I've even got a mate in Cardiff who plays the lottery and I tell him he's helping me live my dream."

As part of a growing Welsh contingent in the GB squad, he feels firmly at home.

"There's a good group of us in the team now, which is nice. It feels like a big Welsh family within the wider GB set-up."

Great Britain's women's eight are due to begin their World Championship campaign in Shanghai at 03:11 BST on Thursday, 25 September.