Pursuing an MBA and falling in love with a new sport at Cambridge

This has been one of the most fulfilling years in my life. I’ve had the chance to meet extraordinary people, learn a lot about business management, get real work experience through the various projects and even had time to discover a sport that has won me over. 

I’ve always been into sports so when I arrived to Cambridge, I decided to do what people do here. I joined my college’s rowing club – Lucy Cavendish College Boat Club. After a testing session, I was immediately trapped and it quickly became part of my routine.

Balancing the demands of an MBA in Cambridge while immersing myself into such a rigorous sport has been a challenging yet immensely rewarding journey. At first glance, the idea of combining these two pursuits seemed daunting, with both requiring significant time and dedication. However, I quickly discovered a connection between the attributes needed to succeed both in business school and in the water

Rowing, requires teamwork, precision, coordination, and perseverance, which can be mirrored in the business environment. Whether navigating through a challenging business case or a turbulent river, effective communication and synchronised effort are key to success. The lessons learned from coordinating with my teammates on the water, seamlessly translated into the collaborative projects and group discussions within the MBA programme at Cambridge Judge.

Discovering this new sport also allowed me to make great friends. The time we spend training and the competitions against other Cambridge Colleges has helped us build very strong relationships that will surely last a long time. Rowing allowed me to meet wonderful people from outside the Business School, broadening my network and simply enhancing my experience here. 

Deciding to row while in Cambridge has been one of the highlights of the MBA year so far. I look forward to continue learning both across the Cambridge campus and on the River Cam. I am sure these experiences will then translate to my future professional career and will become tools to help me achieve my goals.