Few among our College community will have forgotten the celebrations when St Edmund’s own Luke Juckett (2013), who rowed for the University Boat Club between 2013 and 2016, was part of the victorious crew in the 2016 Boat Race.  Luke, joined by a group of fellow University Boat Club alums, plans to take on an entirely different river based contest this year, when he leads a crew on a gruelling two-week, 900km row down the Kafue River in Zambia.

The 2018 RowZambezi Expedition, between July 22­nd and August 2nd, is a project designed to raise awareness and support organizations dedicated to providing clean water resources to villages around the Zambia River Basin. Luke tells us that his crew this year is supporting Village Water (@villagewater on Twitter), an organization committed to providing sustainable and innovative water and sanitation solutions in rural and peri-urban communities and schools in Zambia. Luke and his crew have also partnered with the World Wildlife Foundation and early in the expedition they will take time to meet with locals working to promote wildlife conservation efforts.

Speaking to the Development Office, Luke said “I have trained and raced against the sport’s best, all around the world, and on beautiful bodies of water. Now, only a few years after I left competitive rowing, the sport has given me an opportunity to give back and make an impact, to use my rowing experience for a greater cause, and to facilitate healthier lives for the people in these water-deprived African villages.”

Further information on the expedition is available from the team’s website: www.rowzambezi.com