Photo thanks to Eamonn McCabe
Duncan Crockford was the proud winner of our ‘Name A Boat’ auction at Henley Royal Regatta 2025. Beryl Crockford was an extraordinary athlete, a World Champion and the first woman to become a member of Leander Club.
A naming ceremony was held on Regatta Sunday, attended by Mike Sweeney, Peter Greenslade and Pete Bridge.
Duncan explains his motivation for his bid. He said:
“Beryl was an exceptional woman, we met when I was only 23 and I was still only 24 when we married in 1985, so it’s fair to say she defined my life to a large extent. This struck me as a golden opportunity to perpetuate her name in a most appropriate way.
“It’s hard to imagine anyone who could have impacted so many peoples’ lives in the way that Beryl did, as an athlete, a teacher, coach, mentor and friend. Her achievements as an athlete, on face value when compared to the athletes of today, may not seem so significant but in the context of the era, and the very limited resources available at that time, I think that they were ground breaking.
“There were ‘pioneers’ that went before her, such as Penny Chuter. But her Silver Medal in the single scull at the 1981 World Championships, when women’s rowing in particular was dominated by the Eastern Bloc, was truly ground breaking and a first for a British woman. When Beryl and her lightweight doubles partner Lin Clark won Gold at the 1985 World Championships that was another first. She was the first British woman to row at three Olympics, she won the one and only Invitational Single Sculls event at Henley in 1982, and of course, she was the first woman to become a member of Leander. Her tenure as Teacher in Charge of Rowing at Lady Eleanor Holles School from 1989 to 2002 is stuff of legend, but that’s a whole other story.”
Please click here for a more detailed overview of Beryl’s life in rowing.
