Seeking social interactions and exercise during the Covid-19 pandemic, Honora Verdone (History MPhil 2020) turned to rowing. It was a life-changing experience.

Growing up in the Rocky Mountains, Honora’s sporting passions were skiing and figure skating. In October 2020, persuaded by her postgraduate housemates at Gonville & Caius College, she tried rowing. She turned to it again when a lockdown eased.

“I really got hooked on it,” she says. “There was an element of just wanting to hang out with people during COVID that got me involved. That just snowballed into having so many friends through the Boat Club, becoming really attached to it and really invested in it. And still many of my best friends are from Caius Boat Club.”

Those friends include housemates in London and being Maid of Honour for Mila Marcheva (Computer Science 2018), her Caius rowing co-captain, who married another rower, Joe Nash (Engineering 2018). 

“In some ways it sounds cult-like, but I just think it was such a friendly, fun environment. There was so much joy being a part of it,” she says.

The experience Honora describes is familiar to many who have been part of Caius Boat Club, which celebrates its bicentennial in 2027. But why? 

“I think it's an element of working towards a common goal,” adds Honora, who was women’s co-captain in 2024. “It's not like it's all fun. Sometimes the last thing you want to do is get up at 5.30am to go row, because you’re stressed with work, or tired, and sometimes you put all this time and energy into trying to win a race or trying to bump and it doesn’t go your way. 

“But I think that process of having to do that together brings people really close. It attracts people who are like-minded and willing to work hard for a goal, and there is a work-hard, play-hard mentality. I think that allows you to make these really close friendships that are lasting friendships.”

Whether in M1, W1 or a novice or lower boat, the experience can be the same. And building on what has gone before fed into the experience for Honora.

“For me, the history of the Boat Club made it really special,” she adds. “And maybe this is part of Cambridge rowing in general with bumps, but the fact that you're always working to build on what people before you have done and that the bumps charts are built up over time, I just think you feel like you are a piece in this really big project that a lot of people before you have put their hearts into as well. That is really special and something that I felt empowered by.”

Such was the connection she established with Caius Boat Club that Honora continued to row for Caius when she had matriculated at St Edmund’s College for a BA in Law. She had to declare her allegiance to Cambridge University Combined Boat Clubs, who oversee the collegiate competitions on the Cam. 

“It was overwhelmingly because of the people and the fact that I just really wanted to stay part of the community,” she adds. “I was able to do this degree that I wanted to do, which is more of a grad-specific degree, but still have my boat club family. It was amazing to have that continuity.”

Honora is part of an alumni group chat called ‘Gone-ville but not forgotten’ in tribute to Caius, and they got together to row in an alumni boat in Lent Term. Alumni events such as that, plus Boat Club dinners, allow interactions between current and former members of Caius Boat Club.

She says: “For me, as a student I would meet alumni and see how close they were as friends… and now that’s me. People care so much and want to give back and it’s this sense of passing it on.”

Photo: Honora, in hat, front row, second from right, pictured with members of Caius Boat Club at a Boat Club Dinner.