Before 1936 Olympics Rowing Squad, This American Sports Team Dominated The World

Daniel James Brown has immortalized the nine-rowing All-American heroes who thrashed Adolf Hitler’s prideful regime with their mighty oars. Captured within the pages of the critically acclaimed book, “The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold”, this non-fiction sheds light on the University of Washington’s legacy in the sport. However, there is one lesser-known narrative that has the potential to become the stuff of legends.

After its emergence in 1908, women’s rowing remained a fringe sport up until 1913. This changed when a British oarswoman challenged the refined Victorian sensibilities and paved the way for other women in the sport. Now, almost a decade later, her granddaughter reminds the world of the trailblazer’s paradigm-shifting impact on rowing.

Reexamining the pioneering rowing legacy of Lucy Pocock

Celebrated designer George Yeomans Pocock is credited for the United States’ successful Olympic campaign in 1936. Even now, the rowing world fondly remembers his contributions, which are still ongoing through the ‘George Pocock Rowing Foundation’. However, the racing shell-maker could not have thrived in the Pacific Northwest had it not been for his older sister, Lucy Pocock. Heidi Danilchik, who is her granddaughter and a living reminder of the family’s rowing excellence, highlighted Lucy’s struggles in pursuit of her passion.

In an exclusive interview with American Experience, Danilchik explained how Lucy Pocock went against the ‘Angel in the house’ ideology and chose the waters instead of the hearth. Lucy’s father was an enlightened man and realized the capabilities of his 6-foot-tall daughter.

With his permission, Lucy Pocock entered several Mixed Doubles competitions across the pond in 1906. She made a name for herself by winning the Women’s Sculling Championship on the Thames River. After 1912, Lucy Pocock and her family set sail for the United States of America in search of better prospects. Rest is history.

Lucy Pocock’s American Odyssey

Lucy Pocock did not find immediate success in the U.S. Rather, she had to tend after her younger siblings, including George Pocock. She continued her untenable duties as a housekeeper and mother to her siblings while completing her education. She even took up cooking jobs before landing the coach position at UW. The university’s Gymnasium Director had suspended the women’s rowing program, erroneously judging the “weaker sex” as incapable of such physical exertions.

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However, Coach Hiram Conibear relented the move and surreptitiously hired Lucy Pocock as the coach. He used the ‘Pocock Bros Boat Building’ letterhead to write the recommendation letter. After she was hired, Lucy Pocock instilled in her trainees an enduring love for rowing, which is still visible in the awnings of boathouses across America.

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