It’s a history-making event in a historic competition, and a Newfoundlander will be part of it.
Lieut. (Navy) Carolyn Pumphrey of Gander is a member of a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) crew that will row today in the King’s Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta at Henley-on-Thames, England. Pumphrey and her CAF crewmates are part of a rowing competition that commemorates the centenary of a race last held in 1919 during what was called the Peace Regatta, conducted less than a year after the end of the First World War.
The King’s Cup will feature teams representing the armed forces of eight countries — the original six nations that raced in 1919, Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, joined by Germany and the Netherlands.
The crews of eight will compete in a knock-out format over the final three days of the 180-year-old Henley Regatta. What’s more, for the first time at an elite rowing event, men and women will be rowing in the same boat.
Pumphrey, a multi-sport athlete, attended Gander Collegiate where she played on the Cardinals’ basketball and volleyball teams. Now, she finds herself rowing with the CAF crew comprised of officer cadets and recent graduates of the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) from which she graduated in 2011.
She is a Naval Warfare Officer and since graduating from RMC, has worked as a Flag Lieutenant for the Commander Canadian Fleet Atlantic, sailed multiple times to Europe and the Caribbean on deployments and training exercises, and competed for Canada at the 19th International Military Sports Council World Military Women’s Volleyball Championship.
Pumphrey is a Squadron Commander at RMC, working directly with officer cadets to develop their leadership skills as future officers in the CAF.
Twitter: @telysports
