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Ollie Wynne-Griffith graduated from Yale in 2017 and is currently driving 6 places in the UK M8 + at the Tokyo Olympics.
1. What inspired you to do your first rowing session? was there anything memorable about that?
I originally started rowing in the off-season to keep myself fit for rugby. I had always dreamed of playing professionally for Wales one day and I saw rowing as a great way to do cardio in the summer months. Also, my great-grandfather rowed in the 1932 LA Olympics and sat in the sixth seat of the British men’s eight, so there was a bit of family history that drew me to the sport. In terms of the session, I was 13 years old and the only thing I can remember is getting kicked out on a single and falling over and over again. That was about as good as my sculling career!
2. Was there a training session, race, or other event that made you fall in love with the sport or knew you might not be that bad at rowing? When you thought you could make it to the national team?
The race I remember most clearly was the World Championship in Sarasota in 2017. It was my debut in the Seniors World Championship and I was selected to replace the team straight out of college that year. On the day of the semifinals, the reigning Olympic champion Will Satch retired from the race 30 minutes before the start of the semifinals due to palpitations. There I was, a new college kid who had never raced at this level before. Jürgen Grobler told me to put on my racing threads, because in an hour I would be caressing the GB men’s 4.
The guys had just enough time to walk me through the race calls and start sequence before we headed to the race. I sat there at the start line sweating balls in the scorching Florida sun, praying that the rhythm that came out of the trap that day was good enough to get the guys into the finals. Luckily everything went according to plan and I’m still here on the team to tell the story, but I often think of that day as a sink or swim moment in my international rowing career when I learned what it took to do compete at the highest level.
3. Best race / training, worst race / training?
My most euphoric race would be the 2015 Eastern Sprints final. It was the first major championship I’d ever won and the first Yale had won since 1982. We ran from wire to wire and I just remember knowing from the first stroke that it was about to start. Nothing beats a piece of history.
At the 2019 World Cup
The race that haunts me to this day was my last race in high school. We lost to local rivals Abingdon by a 3/4 length. Losing a Henley final is tough, but even more so when you look at the caliber of the guys we had on board. To this day I just can’t understand how we failed to work with 3 members of our current GB men’s Olympic 8 on board in this high school crew!
4. The best / everything you’ve done in this sport that nobody knows about?
I believe that I am the only guy who has ever given a live chicken as a secret Christmas present at the UK rowing team‘s annual Christmas dinner. I can attest that the chicken is currently leading a full and happy life in South Oxfordshire with its new owner.
5. Any / most important advice for young rowers?
Live in the moment. The most important punch you will ever take is the one you are about to take. It’s really easy, but using this mindset guarantees steady but significant improvement. A regular mile-long diet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner also works wonders. That stuff makes champions!
Hometown: Guildford, GB
Association membership: Leander Club
Started rowing: 2007
Date of birth: May 29, 1994
Height: 198cm
Secondary school: Radley College
Basic training: Yale University ’17
Current trainer: Steve Trapmore
National teams: Six. 2012 Juniors, 2014 U23, 2016 U23, 2018 Seniors, 2019 Seniors, 2021 Olympics
International results: Ollie was part of the men’s eighth in the 2018 and 2019 seasons and won three World Cup silver medals, European silver, two World Cup bronze and World Cup gold.
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