Mike Beresford

Mike Beresford was a member of the famous Beresford rowing family and was the nephew of the three-times Olympic gold medallist Jack Beresford, and grandson of 1912 Olympic silver medallist Julius. Beresford’s father Eric was also stroke at the Thames Rowing Club for several years.

When he was just 16 in 1950, Mike attended Bedford School and was runner-up in the final of the schoolboy sculls at the Henley Town Regatta. Beresford went on to enjoy a long career as a sculler and also rowed fours and eights. He rowed at the Henley Regatta for many years and his highlights included finishing second in the Silver Goblets with Colin Porter in 1959, winning the Steward’s Challenge Trophy in 1956 and 1959, and the capturing 1960 Grand Challenge Cup when Molesey Boat Club beat Oxford University.

At international level, Beresford won the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games coxed fours gold medal in a record time that stood for 28 years. He had previously won the coxless fours silver medal at the 1954 European Championships in Amsterdam. Beresford also competed at the 1960 Roma Olympics but finished fifth in the coxless fours, despite being ill suffering from the effects of malaria.

In 2021 Beresford received a British Rowing Lifetime Achievement Award for nearly 70 years dedicated to the sport, including 50 years-service to Southampton University Boat Club At the time of the award, he was head coach of the Southampton club’s senior women’s squad.