Sometimes the person steering the boat has the most extraordinary story of all.

In this episode of Charging Ahead, we sit down with legendary coxswain Alan “Woody” Sherman. From a bronze medal at the Paralympics with Team GB to victories at Henley and the Head of the River, Woody has spent a lifetime guiding crews to greatness. Now nearly 80 and still coxing almost every day, he reflects on a life shaped by competition, resilience, and the quiet art of leadership from the stern.

A remarkable story from one of rowing’s true characters.