Terry O'Neil

My father took me to the rowing club when I was 10 to learn to be a cox. At 15 I started rowing in the men’s crew that I was steering until one of the crew got married and moved away.
We raced almost every weekend and won about 50 events over the next four years.
In the early sixties the first national rowing squad was formed under the legendary Jumbo Edwards, former Oxford blue and boat race coach. On the first night he spoke to us to let us know what was required and we sat silently hanging on every word. Jumbo used to smoke continuously even in the Gym and while he addressed us he put his hands behind his back still holding his cigarette, Smoke started to rise from behind him and he took on an eerie appearance as his blazer caught alight. He didn’t seem to notice and we were not about to interrupt the great man so we just sat there and waited.  Eventually he realised he was on fire and whipped off his blazer, threw it on the floor and started to jump on it to put it out.
During weight training I suffered a back injury, there were no team doctors or physios and one of the squad advised me to see Bill Scillibaer at Westminster Hospital.
I went along and asked for doctor Schillibaer only to be told there was no doctor by that name. I said his first name was Bill and there was an immediate recognition from the receptionist. After a while Bill appeared and took me to the orthopaedic recovery department. I lay on a table and straps were placed around my chest and hips. At the end of the table was a handle and when Bill turned it, a gap appeared in the middle of the table and I felt myself being stretched.
Bill left the room for what seemed like an age and I was in agony. Finally he returned and released me from the rack. He seemed quite hurt when I told him I felt worse than when I came in and so he said I would have to go and see him privately at his house where he would better be able to treat me. The following day I drove over to his house in Balham and he gave me some manipulation which did ease the pain somewhat. He then gave me a tablet which he told me was an anti inflammatory. I asked him if it carried any side effects as I had a fair drive ahead of me and he assured me there were none. I left the house and by the time I got to the Oval I was feeling sick and giddy. The next thing I remember was two policemen dragging me out of the car. I had passed out and driven into a bus and they thought I was drunk. I explained to the police what had happened assured them I was sober, the bus driver did not want to get involved in all the paper work and so they left me sitting on the kerb having promised I would not drive until I felt better. Bill, it turned out was not a member of the medical staff, he was a well meaning orderly who was a keen cyclist and self taught masseuse.
I began to realise that if I wanted to get any where in this sport it was going to be down to me, not to rely on anyone and don’t trust anyone on face value. So I started to study the mechanics of rowing, physiology and training principles to a point where I could be confident in any company anywhere in the world of rowing.