To be completely honest I didn’t think racing was something I’d get to do during my year at Cambridge. While I knew the U.K. had a fantastic karting scene at the university level, I felt that part of my life was done. However, during the society fair in the first term, I had a chance to meet with representatives from the Cambridge Automotive Society (CUAC), and I felt the quality of my Cambridge experience would only improve if I developed interests outside of the MBA and Cambridge Judge itself.
I have so far competed in 7 events, and I’m happy to say I won both the Cuppers and Varsity races. Given that it had been close to 8 years since I last raced, the initial races proved to be a struggle. However, winning the Cuppers Cup for Downing College, my college, proved to be an inflection point for me, and the confidence I gained from that win had a direct bearing on my performance at the Varsity Race against Oxford.
The other benefit of being a part of the CUAC was the ability to meet individuals from different departments across the University. So far, I have had a chance to interact with people from the engineering, law, and medical schools to name a few, and this has had a direct impact on my wider network from both a professional and personal point of view.
Given that the races mostly occur over the weekends, I’ve been fortunate that my racing schedule hasn’t really affected my MBA. While I’ve had to be mindful about certain study deadlines, the events were planned ahead of time, meaning I had ample time to plan in advance. Credit has to go to Adam Ormondroyd, the current CUAC Secretary, and his meticulous planning.
Overall, the opportunity to race and represent the University of Cambridge has been a real highlight for me, and has arguably been the pinnacle of my Cambridge experience so far.
