Could former Skipton Girls’ High School pupil Lisa Meegan, a 21-year-old undergraduate at Cambridge University, be the latest local sports person to hit the headlines in the sport of rowing?

With the inspiration of Hebden’s Olympic gold medallist Andy Hodge Keighley-raised Lisa has been trialling with Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club and was recently selected to row for the University in the Henley Boat Races against Oxford.

This is the women’s equivalent of the legendary men’s annual Boat Race between the two universities.

The women’s races are held a week earlier (Sunday, March 28) and are raced over 2km at Henley-on-Thames, rather than in London.

Lisa said: “I have been selected to row in the women’s lightweight eight, which means everyone in my crew must weigh 59kg or less on the day of the race.

“As we begin our final preparations for our Boat Race, we are also required to raise £500 each in sponsorship to help cover the costs of race week which includes kit, transport and accommodation.

“Our club has nowhere near the level of sponsorship required to cover our training and racing expenses, and the day-to-day costs of training fall heavily on the rowers.

“We therefore run our Sponsor A Seat campaign in the run up to our Boat Race, so that the additional costs of racing do not place further financial burden on rowers who have already spent in excess of £1,000 of their own money in trialling for the university.

“I would be really grateful if any sponsors from back home in the Skipton area would consider offering me any form of sponsorship. While I do not expect to find the full £500 in this way, even small donations will help me in reaching my target.

“Anyone who donates will have their name featured on our website, and for donations over £150 names would also be printed in the official Henley Boat Races programme and on T-shirts worn by the athletes in training.”

Potential sponsors can contact Lisa by e-mail at lmm50@cam.ac.uk.

Lisa said: “Rowing is hugely popular at Cambridge and lots of students row for their college against the other Cambridge colleges. Most of my friends took it up as soon as they arrived in Cambridge. After a couple of terms they persuaded me to give it a go.

“I was hooked pretty much straight away, and I rowed in my college (Sidney Sussex) first eight for two years before deciding I wanted a fresh challenge with the university squad.

“I was incredibly pleased that all my hard work in training has paid off and I am excited at the prospect of racing against Oxford in front of thousands and proud to be able to represent my college and my university.”

Lisa trains 11 times a week, which includes seven outings on the water and four land training sessions - two weights sessions, and two sessions on the ergometers (rowing machines).

She said: “We have to fit our training in around academic commitments, so our land training is in the evenings but our outings are early in the morning so we can be back for 9am lectures.

“We row on the Ouse in Ely, rather than in Cambridge, because the Cam is narrow and twisting and always very congested with college crews.

“We travel to Ely five times a week - for single outings three days catching the 5.55am train and double outings on Saturdays and Sundays at the slightly later time of 6.30am!.

“The £5.50 return train fare to Ely from Cambridge is what makes the trialling process so expensive. It’s a demanding training schedule and you have to be very disciplined to fit in the rowing and academic work and still get enough sleep, but it’s also incredibly rewarding.”

Lisa firmly believes Cambridge have a very good chance this year saying: “We have a really strong and determined squad, and since the crews were set last month we’ve made some huge improvements together and the boat is running really well at the moment.”