Rahul Ramakrishnan '25 Recruiting Profile

I learned to cox at the age of 13, navigating the notoriously unpredictable waters of the tideway in London - along the Boat Race course. This has forced me to be very deliberate and confident in my actions, as one mistake can break a boat. To avoid such mistakes, I have also learnt to constantly ask questions and openly receive criticism, both from coaches and athletes, both of which have helped to catalyse my development as a cox. Additionally, being part of Dulwich College Boat Club - a club building significant momentum - has meant that I have experienced four Heads of Rowing and over 15 coaches, and therefore I understand a wide variety of coaching styles and methods, as well as how to communicate clearly with different types of coaches. 

I feel my biggest strength as a cox is how I am able to effectively diagnose both individual and boat-wide issues and clearly articulate them in the way most effective for the athlete in question. I have seen the effects of this materialise through both my own age group (where we are now consistently in the top 10 in the country), and in the 1st 8+ and 1st 4+, both of which I have coxed since 15. 

This year I have been entered into the British Rowing trialling process, where I hope to experience the very best the country has to offer, in terms of coaching and rowers, equipping me with further skills and additional international experience which I can bring to my collegiate club.

I will also be taking a gap year (for 2025 entry), where I plan to row for Thames Rowing Club in an attempt to win Henley, and work in a new environment with top class national athletes.

As a cox, I feel it is important to also possess a high degree of academic competence, as this also demonstrates capacity to effectively cope with intensive collegiate training schedules. As an academic scholar, I ranked in the top 0.35% of GCSE Students in the UK, where I achieved grades 9999999999. Looking ahead to my A-Levels, I am also predicted to achieve grades A*A*A*.

Above all, I believe my ability to tailor my coxing to specific individuals will bring a level of confidence to my collegiate club, which, combined with my race craft, will contribute to my goal of winning the IRA, and maybe even Henley.