Hugh Edwards (rower)
Encyclopedia
Hugh Robert Arthur Edwards (November 17, 1906 – December 21, 1972), also known as Jumbo Edwards, attended Christ Church, Oxford
and was an English
rower
who competed for Great Britain
in the 1932 Summer Olympics
.
He was born to Welsh speaking parents in Woodstock, Oxfordshire
and died in Southampton
.
He went up to Oxford University in 1925, and was the only Freshman selected to row in the 1926 Blue Boat
. He notoriously collapsed in the race, and was later diagnosed as having a hypertrophied heart, and was told he was no longer needed to row for the university.
Edwards left Oxford in 1927 to become a school teacher. He also recommenced rowing, with London Rowing Club. While rowing with London Rowing Club
, he was successful at Henley Royal Regatta
in 1928, 1929, and 1930, winning the Grand Challenge Cup in 1930. At the Empire Games in Canada
in 1930, London Rowing Club crews representing England, and which contained Edwards, won the eights and coxed fours. He was then invited to row in the 1930 Oxford Blue Boat.
In the 1932 Olympics
he won the gold medal in the coxless pairs event with Lewis Clive
, and a second gold in the Great Britain coxless four.
During the Second World War Edwards served in the RAF, once saving his own life by rowing four miles through a minefield in a dinghy after his plane crashed in the Atlantic Ocean
. He was invited back to be a member of the Oxford coaching team in 1949, although resigned in 1957 after a disagreement with the Australian born President, Roderick Carnegie
. He was brought back in 1959 by OUBC President Ronnie Howard, but provoked a rebellion by certain members of the crew over his demands on them. Despite the resignation of certain members of the squad, Oxford beat Cambridge, and his subsequent coaching efforts made him an Oxford legend.
In 1962, he coached the Wales four containing his two sons that won silver at the Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia.
He wrote a book on rowing technique in 1963 entitled The Way of a Man with a Blade.
A coxless four belonging to Christ Church Boat Club is named Jumbo Edwards. The club's other four, is named after Jonathan Searle
, another Olympic Gold medallist.
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
and was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rower
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
who competed for Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in the 1932 Summer Olympics
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
.
He was born to Welsh speaking parents in Woodstock, Oxfordshire
Woodstock, Oxfordshire
Woodstock is a small town northwest of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. It is the location of Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace in 1874 and is buried in the nearby village of Bladon....
and died in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
.
He went up to Oxford University in 1925, and was the only Freshman selected to row in the 1926 Blue Boat
The Boat Race
The event generally known as "The Boat Race" is a rowing race in England between the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club, rowed between competing eights each spring on the River Thames in London. It takes place generally on the last Saturday of March or the first...
. He notoriously collapsed in the race, and was later diagnosed as having a hypertrophied heart, and was told he was no longer needed to row for the university.
Edwards left Oxford in 1927 to become a school teacher. He also recommenced rowing, with London Rowing Club. While rowing with London Rowing Club
London Rowing Club
London Rowing Club is one of the oldest rowing clubs on the River Thames in London, United Kingdom.It is regarded as one of the most exclusive and successful rowing clubs in Britain. and its Patron is HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh....
, he was successful at Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...
in 1928, 1929, and 1930, winning the Grand Challenge Cup in 1930. At the Empire Games in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1930, London Rowing Club crews representing England, and which contained Edwards, won the eights and coxed fours. He was then invited to row in the 1930 Oxford Blue Boat.
In the 1932 Olympics
Rowing at the 1932 Summer Olympics
Rowing at the 1932 Summer Olympics featured 7 events, for men only. The competitions were held from August 9, 1932 to August 13, 1932 at the Marine Stadium in Long Beach, California.-Medal summary:-Participating nations:...
he won the gold medal in the coxless pairs event with Lewis Clive
Lewis Clive
Lewis Clive was a British rower who won a gold medal in the 1932 Summer Olympics. He was killed in action during the Spanish Civil War....
, and a second gold in the Great Britain coxless four.
During the Second World War Edwards served in the RAF, once saving his own life by rowing four miles through a minefield in a dinghy after his plane crashed in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. He was invited back to be a member of the Oxford coaching team in 1949, although resigned in 1957 after a disagreement with the Australian born President, Roderick Carnegie
Roderick Carnegie
Sir Roderick Howard Carnegie AC is a prominent Australian businessman, primarily working in the coal industry.He was awarded a knighthood in the 1978 Queen's Birthday Honours list In recognition of service to industry, and in the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours list he was awarded Companion of the...
. He was brought back in 1959 by OUBC President Ronnie Howard, but provoked a rebellion by certain members of the crew over his demands on them. Despite the resignation of certain members of the squad, Oxford beat Cambridge, and his subsequent coaching efforts made him an Oxford legend.
In 1962, he coached the Wales four containing his two sons that won silver at the Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia.
He wrote a book on rowing technique in 1963 entitled The Way of a Man with a Blade.
A coxless four belonging to Christ Church Boat Club is named Jumbo Edwards. The club's other four, is named after Jonathan Searle
Jonny Searle
Jonathan William C. Searle MBE is a British rower. Along with his brother Gregory, and coxswain Garry Herbert, Searle won the gold medal in the coxed pair event at the Olympic Games in Barcelona....
, another Olympic Gold medallist.