Olympic champion rower takes on ‘dream’ challenge

AN Olympic gold medal winning rower has become an on-call firefighter.

Jacob Dawson, 31, said joining the Henley station in West Street has fulfilled a childhood dream.

The Leander Club rower had his first shift at the station on Wednesday last week having completed a two-week basic training course in Didcot.

Dawson, who lives in Ancastle Green, decided to sign up in June but had to postpone his enrolment until September so he could compete at the Olympics in Paris last summer.

He went on to win gold in the men’s eight alongside fellow Leander rowers Sholto Carnegie, Charlie Elwes and Tom Ford.

Dawson said he was in search of a fresh challenge. He said: “I haven't retired from rowing but in terms of competing internationally I'm happy with how it has all gone and I think it’s time for the next thing.

“I'd wanted to be part of the fire service since I was a kid. It is very much a childhood dream. But one of the hardest things was getting started, to knock on the door. It can be the most intimidating part, to put yourself out there.

“Henley is not a 24-hour station so the lights can be off and when you arrive you think ‘Is anybody in?’ But I came down and knocked on the door. I was able to have a really good chat and it just went from there.”

Dawson works at the station alongside his job as a tree surgeon and recently passed his initial two-week course, which was at the start of January.

He said: “For the on-call recruits they strip it down to the most basic fire-craft they can teach you. You learn how to pitch the big ladder, ship a hydrant, operate the pump and learn the different commands.”

Dawson said that the skills needed for the job were not too dissimilar from what he had picked up in his rowing career, such as being able to perform under pressure. He said: “Teamwork, first and foremost, and being part of a team and being coachable helps.”

He grew up in Plymouth where he picked up rowing aged 12 while at school but described himself as not a natural sportsman.

Dawson said: “I wasn’t an athlete. I couldn’t kick or catch a ball and couldn't run quickly. I was always picked last in PE, all that kind of stuff. But I enjoyed being active and I enjoyed being part of teams and I loved rugby just because it was having a laugh with my mates.

“I was attracted to rowing because it was a little bit niche. I was at a state school and my coach got a job with British Rowing when London won the bid to host it for 2012, to increase outreach in the sport so he helped me get into it.”

After graduating from Washington University in 2016, where he was on a rowing scholarship, Dawson moved to Henley to pursue rowing full-time.

He soon joined Team GB’s development squad and was eventually selected in the men’s eight for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where he won bronze. Dawson said: “It felt more like we had salvaged a result rather than actually earned a medal so I came back for Paris champing at the bit, wanting to hit the ground running.” However, his training halted in April 2022 when he suffered a pulmonary embolism as a result of covid complications.

Dawson said: “They think covid just essentially made my blood thick. A clot formed and then it passed through my heart and ended up on a lung. It nearly killed me but luckily there’s no lasting damage.”

After working hard to return to health, Dawson began training again but was initially not selected for the 2023 season. However, after one of the crew suffered an injury, he joined the eight for the World Championships which they went on to win, securing his selection for the Games.

Dawson said: “I still haven’t processed winning gold in Paris and I don’t think I ever will. It was a very surreal experience, a million emotions at once. It’s a clichéto say but it was like a dream so I had to watch the race back to make sure that it had actually happened.”

After the success, Dawson struggled to return to his normal training schedule because he lacked the “drive” to do it all over again. He added: “I now want to challenge myself in other ways.”

But Dawson hasn’t given up rowing completely and still makes time to get on to the water. He said: “I’m still affiliated with Leander Club and I go and train in my own time and keep fit. I still love rowing. I haven’t fallen out of love with the sport, I’m just ready for something else.”

Henley fire station is part of the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, run by Oxfordshire County Council. It is looking to recruit new on-call firefighters. For more information and to apply, visit tinyurl.com/5j4u64se