Ms Kat Astley

Photograph 13.3 x 20 (inches)

Window mount 21 x 29 (inches)

''I don't personally think it's remarkable being a woman boatman - there were probably a few mutterings from the traditionalists, however everyone has been remarkably supportive.''

Kat Astley was the first woman boatman on the River Cam (there are now two). She was an undergraduate at Queens' College, graduating in 1998 with a first class degree in Social and Political Sciences. She was Cambridge stroke in 1997 and President of the winning boat against Oxford in 1998.

There are 17 college boathouses on the river, although there are more than 30 university boat clubs. It is estimated that approximately 1,200 students row, making it the largest participatory sport in Cambridge.