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Gold medals, boats and business: Oxford Saïd's Olympic success stories

Published

Saïd Business School students and alumni have competed at each of the last eight Olympic games, and Paris will be no exception.

Olympics have changed dramatically since President Bill Clinton opened the Atlanta Games in 1996, with Muhammed Ali lighting the cauldron. Skateboarding, breakdancing and surfing are now included among more than 350 sports and there have been four US presidents in the intervening years. But one of the things that has remained consistent is that students and alumni from Oxford University's Saïd Business School have competed at each of the last eight games. And the School community's medal haul – seven gold, three silver and four bronze – is more than some countries, especially impressive for just 21 athletes. Perhaps the most famous among them - the Winklevoss twins of Facebook fame - though technically they competed in Beijing 2008, a year before they came to Oxford Saïd to study their MBA.

Rosie Popa, Gold Medallist, Oxford Saïd (2023-4)
Rosie Popa, Gold Medallist, Oxford Saïd (2023-4)

Eighteen of the School’s Olympians have been rowers. They have come from far and wide with Bermuda, USA, New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, Switzerland and GB all represented. And three athletes have competed in Triathlon, Rugby and Swimming – from Fiji/USA and South Africa.

This year is no different. Anders Weiss, the two time Olympian rower, (Oxford Saïd 2017-18) is understood to be part of the USA team for Paris. The 31-year old competed in the Tokyo and Rio Games - before and after his time at Oxford Saïd. Also going to Paris is a student who arrives in the autumn.

Oxford Saïd’s MBA programme has a glittering list of alumni, who have undertaken the prestigious course and are now leading in a variety of businesses from film to finance and on every conceivable path. It attracts the brightest and the best from around the world. But Tom Mackintosh is an incoming MBA student. And he has very good claim to be both bright and best – having already won an Olympic Gold Medal in Tokyo. He will be competing for a second in Paris.

Why Oxford? I’d really like to work in a business as part of high functioning team, delivering real results.

Tom Mackintosh

Olympic Gold Medallist - Saïd Business School MBA student (2024)

Tom Mackintosh: Gold Medallist. Oxford Saïd (2024-5)
Tom Mackintosh: Gold Medallist. Oxford Saïd (2024-5)

Tom, who goes to the French capital next week, started rowing in high school, inspired by his father, Jock, who had competed as a school rower and told ‘inspirational’ stories about the [hard] life of competitive rowing. Tom does not do things because they are easy and the young New Zealander followed his father into a boat – and ended up rowing in the Kiwi Eight boat in Japan and he will be competing again, but this time in a single scull in France.

‘It’s about as different as it gets in rowing,’ he says. ‘I have gone from a big boat to a small boat and from one oar to two. It’s been a steep learning curve and I’m enjoying the ride.’

But, typically, Tom has also always thought about life after rowing.  Unlike some sports, it is not highly remunerated. Alongside competing internationally, he has successfully undertaken courses in commerce and business in his homeland and always wanted to be in business, working for himself or in a commercial setting. He also enjoys motivational speaking – although that is just a sideline.

Coming to do the Oxford MBA, after Paris, he says ‘will be a really good way to upskill’ – although [happily for Oxford, but not Cambridge] it looks likely he will be taking part in the boat race next year.  Tom sees the success and transferrable skills he has learned in international competition being fundamental in his future in business: ‘I’d really like to work in a business as part of high functioning team, delivering real results.’

And you just know, he will.

This is a path already travelled – although not everyone comes to Oxford for the rowing.

What do you do when you have won Olympic gold? Come to Oxford Saïd, of course. According to Tokyo 2020 Gold Medallist, Rosie Popa, who is an Olympic Champion and Olympic Record Holder in the Australian Women’s Coxless Four event, there are more than a few similarities.

Rosie Popa at Oxford Saïd
Rosie Popa at Oxford Saïd

I am looking forward to supporting my past teammates and competitors in a few days’ time.

Rosie is set to complete her MBA, just as the Paris Olympic Games start. But, three years ago, at the delayed Tokyo games, she stood alongside her team mates on the podium. Any regrets? Any thoughts of going back to rowing?

‘Absolutely not,’ laughs Rosie, who used to train eight hours a day, six to seven days a week, when she was competing at the highest level.

‘I feel very contented to have retired in 2022,’ she says firmly. ‘I left no stone unturned and gave everything I had as an athlete in the sport. I miss all the good parts, there is nothing like competing at the top level, representing your country with some of your closest teammates, whom you trust and respect more than anyone else, but that’s as it should be.

‘The Olympics is an extremely intense and unique experience, and I am looking forward to supporting my past teammates and competitors in a few days’ time.’

Rosie has not rowed at Oxford. That was not her motivation in coming here. She says, she decided she wanted to embark on graduate study and completely immerse herself in academia and focus her attention on her career. When she initially visited Oxford, she knew she had found her place: ‘I really wanted to be part of a high-performance environment with likeminded people, but who have come from completely different backgrounds and experiences to me – and that was what drew me to Oxford.’

Even beyond the business school, I love the way people think about and share their ideas. It’s changed my way of thinking. I love that it is so innovative, alongside the old traditions

Rosemay Popa

Olympic Gold Medallist: Oxford Saïd MBA student (2023-4)

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Being an elite sportsperson has really helped at Oxford Saïd.

Rosie who explains that lessons she learned as a top rower – such as time management, stress management and focus – have been invaluable at the School.

‘You can learn from every experience,’ she explains. ‘But from my perspective, sporting success gives you the confidence to try things. I’ve been very conscious to not get drawn into having imposter syndrome, focus on what I need to do and be energised, not intimidated by other peoples’ success.’

Rosie has loved her time at Oxford, though, meeting so many ‘amazing and diverse people’. After sport, it was a sharp pivot to a different sort of high-performance.

‘It’s a very intellectual environment, says Rosie enthusiastically. ‘Even beyond the business school, I love the way people think about and share their ideas. It’s changed my way of thinking. I love that it is so innovative, alongside the old traditions.’

 

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Rosie has jumped into another form of high performing environment - of car manufacturing with one of the more recognisable companies. She is in the middle an internship at BMW Group as an Oxford SDG Impact Lab Fellow.

She is holding the role as Project Lead in a Leadership and Culture project to support BMW Group’s innovation strategy for sustainable, circular operations: ‘I love seeing how other high performing teams and workforces operate. There are very strong commonalities between them all and this experience has continued to highlight how many transferable skills there are from sport into other avenues of life. I hope through my actions and the way I have decided to carve my own path to be a source of inspiration to other athletes as they enter the next phase of their life once retiring from elite sport.’