itchingforfreedom:

I was going through my old phone pictures…

This is what happens when you get hit by a boat. Over a year and a half ago, I was out with my doubles partner. We were doing a small burst around a corner - possibly not the wisest idea, I admit, but we were fully on our side of the river and my bow was checking the river often. There was a four out, with adults who’d just learnt to row. Their cox was just another learner, and wasn’t on the right side of the river. Their bows came over the side of our boat, in front of my bow’s legs, and into me. The bow-ball bent off on my back, and the sharp bows sliced across my side. If the bow-ball hadn’t been there, the bows would have gone straight through the bottom of my back and I could well be paralysed or similar right now.

As it was, the side of our boat was totally and utterly ripped off, we ended up at 45 degrees to the water, trying not to fall into the icy cold November water. We somehow stayed upright, and to this day I’m not sure how. We paddled the 300m back to our club, and half way back my bow went ‘oh God, Jen are you okay!?’. Until she said that, and I looked down, I hadn’t realised that the three layers I was wearing had been shredded to bits next to my hip, and there was blood seeping through. Luckily, I was so cold that I didn’t feel the pain until I started to warm up about 20 minutes later, but it hurt. The cut was shallow, but the bruise was agony for about 3 weeks afterwards.

Never underestimate the importance of steering. This was only one boat going at full speed.