Johnian wins international rowing award

Kirsten Van Fossen, a PHD student in Engineering at St John’s College, Cambridge, has been announced as the 2015 recipient of the Parmigiani Spirit Award – a prize presented to any university rower worldwide who demonstrates dedication to rowing in both their academic and sporting lives, in addition to encompassing the core values of the sport.

Kirsten Van Fossen, a rower with the Lady Margaret Boat Club (LMBC) and PHD student in Engineering at St John’s College, Cambridge, has been presented with the prestigious Parmigiani Spirit Award in recognition of her sporting achievements and inspirational success.

The Award, judged by an international panel of Olympians, is open to current university students worldwide who study full-time and row regularly for a university rowing club. To win the award, sportsmen and women must demonstrate the core values of rowing, such as hard work and team spirit, in their academic, social and sporting life, and through these values enable or inspire exceptional success in other peoples’ lives.

Speaking to the World Rowing website, Kristen’s current coach Rob Baker said:

"Kirsten is always ready to learn and improve her technique. She makes the very best use of coaching time on the water. Kristen arrived (at Cambridge) fit and ready to go."

Kirsten has enjoyed rowing success, both in the UK and the USA   ̶  her country of origin where she is currently conducting research. Before coming to St John’s, she demonstrated her rowing prowess by captaining the rowing team at Harvard University and representing the US in the 2008 World Rowing Junior Championships.

Throughout her academic career, Kirsten has demonstrated a strong desire to help solve global, social issues. During her time at Harvard, she received a fellowship to the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, where she completed a master’s thesis on drinking water purification and researched solutions to water quality and scarcity problems with a team of academic researchers at the University’s International Reference Centre for Water Reuse.

 While at St John’s, Kirsten has been victorious with the Cambridge Lightweight Women’s Eight and rowed in the May Bumps competition in early June 2015.

Laura Day from the LMBC said: “LMBC are very excited for Kirsten, and proud of everything she has achieved in both the academic and rowing worlds. Women’s rowing is going from strength to strength here at the Boat Club and it is fantastic to have such an inspirational female rower in our midst”

The creators of the Parmigiani Spirit Award, which is in its third year and is bestowed annually, are Swiss watch-makers Parmigiani Fleur. The winner of the award receives a hand crafted Parmigiani Fleur watch and their club receives a custom-built, top-of-the-range Filippi eight racing shell.

The Lady Margaret Boat Club has some of the best training facilities on the River Cam and is open to all students, including novices to the sport. To find out more visit: http://www.ladymargaretboatclub.org/

There are a wide range of sporting activities to get involved in at St John’s, a list of what’s on offer is available at http://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/sport-st-johns