Windsor Girls’ School student youngest ever rower to receive exceptional Royal Humane Society award

Izzy received the award for rescuing a 14-year old cox from an overturned boat on Dorney Lake

The Royal Humane Society (RHS) award of a Testimonial on Vellum is the highest level of RHS award made to a rower to date – and Izzy, who was 14 years old at the time of the incident, is the youngest rower to receive the award.

This award is given “where someone has put themselves in considerable danger to save, or attempt to save, someone else”.

Izzy was rowing at bow in a bow-loaded coxed quadruple sculling boat. As they were approaching the race finish line the boat suddenly capsized. Izzy and the other three rowers managed to get out and surface quite quickly, but the cox did not emerge.

Izzy quickly dived under water to rescue the girl from within the inverted boat. Her first attempt was unsuccessful but her second try worked, and she was able to pull the girl free from her seat. Both girls surfaced and all five crew members then hung on to the upturned boat awaiting rescue. The safety launch was deployed and came and rescued the rowers.

Florence, the cox whom Izzy rescued, presented Izzy with the award at Eton Excelsior RC earlier this month.

In presenting the award, Florence said, “I’m honoured to give this well-deserved accolade to a kind, brave teammate. Izzy is an exceptional rower and an amazing friend. I am so grateful. Thank you for everything.”

In accepting the award, Izzy said, “I am privileged to be a part of this amazing community of rowers. Since joining the rowing club with Windsor Girls’ School Boat Club last year, rowing has become a massive part of my life, and I believe our rowing team has become less a group of people and more a team of friends.

To my coaches, parents and teachers who support me every day both in and outside rowing, you have been there every step of the way to encourage me to keep challenging myself. Although no one would ever choose to have experienced something like our capsize, it has made me a stronger individual and brought our team even closer together. Now let’s just hope that next year we can win an award for rowing rather than rescue.

I would like to leave you with a quote from a member of our crew… ‘You didn’t come this far to only come this far. You came this far to be strong enough to go further.'”