Latest in the Alder Man Series and the first official brand ambassador of Alder & Green, Tom George! A Great British rower with an incredible academic and sporting record, we catch up with him on the first year anniversary of Alder & Green and talk all things sport, sustainability and career.
Hi Tom! how are things going?
I’m really well, I’m just enjoying a couple of weeks off after World Championships right now. I was in Italy with my missus! We went to the Amalfi coast which was great fun and we ate a lot, enjoyed some limoncellos, lied on a beach and I got to let my hair down.
I have been incredibly lucky in terms of my background in sport and academia, as all those academic doors were opened to me via sport. That is something I am incredibly proud of and it shows the power of sport and what sport can do for us as individuals and as a society. I am incredibly grateful for where rowing has taken me, such as Princeton, Cambridge, the Olympic games in Tokyo and hopefully to the next Olympic games in a few years.
could you tell us how you got into rowing?
I started rowing when I was 14 at school just outside of Oxford and I initially started doing it as a way to stay fit for rugby. Then it progressed pretty quickly as I realised I'm considerably better at it than rugby. It became the focus and I went to the junior world championships which led me to meet some great coaches from Princeton who asked if I was interested in going to row for the team out there and telling me what grades I needed to make that a reality. Then it became a single-minded focus that I need to work hard at school, get these grades, so I can go to Princeton. That’s where the intertwining between academia and sport started. From there I came back in 2018 and graduated and joined the senior team. I’ve won medals at every world championship ever since which has been awesome. We thought we would go on to win the pair at this summer's world championships, we didn’t quite do that. The lack of experience in our boat in terms of how long we had been rowing together in that combination means that hopefully next season with winter training under our belt, we hope to attack that season next year.
We know you are interested in sustainability. how do you practice that in your own life?
Practicing sustainability in everyday life is really interesting as a rower where you spend a lot of time on the water. It's awful when you see rubbish floating along when you row past, such as areas where people have had a BBQ and they haven't cleaned up. It's just a shame when you walk along and you see a swan's nest and there are bottles and plastic folded into it. I drive an electric car which I love, perfect for where I live in Hammersmith and driving out to Caversham each day. Perfect for a 30-mile jaunt. I haven't done any longer trips yet, where you have to recharge en route which will present an interesting, slightly different challenge but I think it's a challenge that we need to embrace, in terms of becoming more sustainable as a society. I hate plastic bottles, there are so many good reusable bottles that you can put in a dishwasher which probably only needs to be done once every two weeks. Through my Adidas sponsorships I'm closely tied with Parley. They use 100% ocean plastics in their shoes and t-shirts. I know these aren't opportunities available to everyone, but it is about being mindful and more aware of sustainability. Something I have started to do with my housemates is to choose not to eat meat once a week. We will just do a vegetarian dinner which isn't a lot but it is the little things that are really important. In sport we talk about 1% regarding performance, so if we apply that mindset to sustainability, it doesn't take much for everyone to do a tiny bit more. And of course, I am also partnered with Alder and Green!
what is your favourite piece of clothing?
My favourite clothing is really my Alder and Green white formal twill dress shirt. It's a classic white, timeless piece that you can always wear with a suit or casually. It's just very versatile and perfect even if you're on the beach and you want to wear it with some shorts. You then maybe blur the line between it being a dress shirt but I think it’s a great piece of kit that’s really suitable for all occasions.
WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF BUSINESS ADVICE OR CAREER ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
I think two really good bits of career advice that I really like is that everyone needs someone in their life they can turn to and rely on. Just making sure the people around you who are supporting you on your journey are absolute rocks and particularly that one person you can go to ask, ‘can I pick your brains?’ or ‘run this past you?’
The second one would be, if you really want to achieve something, go and do it and don’t care what other people think or care about what the societal expectations are. If you want something become obsessed by it, let it engulf you, go and enjoy the process of making that work. I’m not suggesting become a hermit and never see people and disregard the social life but also don’t get caught up in always going for beers or going out. It is important to take care of the little things, look after yourself and look after your body. In my case for sports, I need to make sure I get a good night's sleep and limit alcohol consumption and eat well, so taking care of those little things. Don’t be scared to go full boar on an idea, rip off the band aid and go for it, that’s when you learn the most about yourself. You may come up short, but you’ll learn a considerable amount more having poured your heart and soul into it.
*In conversation with Alder & Green in October 2022.