Acer is in our pack and we swear by his Oxford legacy

 
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Acer Nethercott was one of Oxford’s Boat Race heroes and when he died of cancer earlier this year, at the age of 35, we decided to name our new boat in his memory.

Myself, the coaches, some of the student officers and the alumni got together to make the decision and Acer’s family had some input as well. It was unanimous.

Everyone at Oxford knows Acer’s name and his races were all pretty renowned. To compete in three Boat Races, wining two, and to win a silver medal at the Olympics is pretty remarkable.

Acer was in the 2003 Boat Race when Oxford were a significantly lighter crew and massive underdogs. He came to speak to us before our race and he gave us a great insight into how it all worked.

He talked to us about his psychology before the race and he had a thing where he told the guys that they were leaner, meaner and wanted it more. We bought into everything he said because he just had such belief when he spoke to us. He was so convincing and that is a pretty good quality for a cox to have.

There was the famous moment when he swore down his microphone in 2004, but no one holds it against him. He rewrote his own history by winning it the following year.

Acer’s determination was typified when he fought back from his diagnosis in 2010 to bid for a coxing place at the London 2012 Olympics. He did not make it into the team but to be in contention after surgery and chemotherapy was testament to his spirit.

The boat naming was emotional for us all. I never raced with him but it’s tough not to feel part of it. It was a big ceremony and a lot of his old crews came down as well as guys he raced with at the Olympics.

We know that the boat naming means a lot to those guys and they know that it would mean a lot to Acer. It will give him the opportunity to win the race one more time and it definitely feels pretty special to be a part of it.

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