Nick Birkmyre

Nick Birkmyre started rowing during his time at Radley College. After college, Birkmyre became an apprentice at the Bristol Siddeley Engines company. He had joined Bristol´s Ariel Rowing Club in 1956 and switched to sculling and soon enjoyed success at several regattas around Britain. Despite devoting a lot of his time to studying in 1958, he still managed to row as much as possible and finished second at the Serpentine Regatta to the Australian Henley Diamond Sculls winner, and 1956 Olympic silver medallist, Stuart MacKenzie.

In 1959 Birkmyre and George Justicz teamed up and became the most successful pair of British double scullers in the post-war era. In their first year together, they took part in the European Championships and also finished second in the Double Sculls Challenge Cup at Henley. The pair went on to win it four times between 1960-64. Birkmyre and Justicz took part in the Roma Olympics and missed out on a place in the final after narrowly finishing second in their repêchage. The duo won silver at the 1961 Europeans, however, behind the 1956 Olympic champions Alexsandr Berkutive and Yury Tyukalov of Russia. It was Britain´s first European sculling medal since Tony Fox (single sculls) won silver in 1951.

Birkmyre and Justicz joined the Leander Club in 1962 and that year competed in the inaugural World Championships at Lucerne, also winning gold at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia. Also, in 1962, Birkmyre won the Head of the River scullers race on the River Thames when he dead-heated with John M. Russell. Up to and including the 2024 race, it was the only dead-heat in the history of the event. Birkmyre had come close to winning the race in 1960 but finished second - to Justicz. In 1975, at the age of 39, Birkmyre enjoyed a top-12 finish in the Head of the River. Birkmyre and Justicz both became organic farmers after their competitive rowing days. Together they launched “Prana”, a chain of wholefood stores and restaurants in the Midlands region.