Club Captain: Will Pressley
William Pressley, was elected Captain for 2008/09 by Thames members in July. He previously captained the club in 2002/3 and was involved in establishing Thames Rowing Club as a high performance centre for world-class British athletes. Will originally joined as a novice in 1997. He quickly progressed through the men’s squad to go to British trials in 2001 in a pair and to row in his first Henley final in 2002, which his Thames Cup 8 narrowly lost. In the 2003 season, he again reached the final, but this time his coxless four crew reversed their fortunes of the previous year, dominating from start to finish, to win the Wyfold Challenge Cup.
A knee injury led to Will’s early retirement from competition, despite a very promising start to the 2004/05 season in a composite crew. However, Will stayed involved with the club, taking on a coaching role instead. During his first year he managed the women’s intermediate squad to a women’s Henley win in eights, and a final in coxed fours.
The following year Will worked with the club’s high performance squad under then Thames head coach, and GB coach, Miles Forbes-Thomas, coaching a number of athletes who have subsequently represented Great Britain. He also worked with both a National Championship-winning women’s coxed four and a women’s coxless four that went on as half of an England 8 to win at the Commonwealth regatta in 2006.
A physiotherapist by profession, Will has always been in interested in sport and exercise, and enjoys working with people to achieve their full potential. His current goal is to make Thames Rowing Club the best in the UK.
