HWS News
8 April 2025 • Alums • Athletics Wertheimer '22 Rows in Historic Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race
Inspired by her HWS experience, Cambridge graduate student prepares to compete in one of the world’s most renowned collegiate rowing races on London’s Thames River.
As a member of the William Smith rowing team, Annie Wertheimer ’22, a Master of Philosophy in Arts, Creativity and Education student at the University of Cambridge, aspired to row competitively after her time at HWS.
Coach Paul Bugenhagen had one message for her: “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
Wertheimer is living that dream as she prepares to row in one of the world’s most competitive and storied regattas - The Boat Race - on Sunday, April 13. The race, dating back to 1829, pits the University of Oxford against the University of Cambridge in a 4.25-mile race on the Thames River in London.
Wertheimer and the Cambridge women’s team aim to make it eight straight victories over Oxford this year.
“I’ve never had an opportunity to row with this many incredible athletes and I’ve learned so much from them,” says Wertheimer, noting several of her teammates competed in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
She has three goals for the race: Make every stroke count, learn as much as possible from her teammates and have fun.
“I told myself I wouldn’t continue rowing if I wasn’t happy and improving, so I want to make sure my teammates and I have a good time,” says Wertheimer.
As a rower at HWS, Wertheimer learned and developed in the sport under former head coach Sandra Chu and then pushed herself to the next level of competition under Bugenhagen.
Her dedication paid off as Wertheimer was a two-time first-team All-American for the William Smith rowing team and a three-time recipient of William Smith's S. Ford Weiskittel Most Valuable Oarswoman Award as a four-year member of the Heron varsity eight. She owns the team records for 2K, 5K and 6K ergometer testing times. An exceptional scholar, she also earned three Liberty League All-Academic Team honors and two CSCA Scholar-Athlete awards.
After graduating from HWS, Wertheimer attended and rowed for Rutgers University while pursuing a Master of Arts in Curatorial Studies.
"Annie’s energy and contagious enthusiasm as a Heron athlete and teammate were always evident in her passion for rowing and racing,” says Bugenhagen. “She set a standard of excellence in training that inspired the women around her in our program. Her recipe for success continued to shine through in her success at Rutgers and continues now with Cambridge. Her journey in this sport is a testament to her willpower, love for team and teammates and the vision she has for herself. The life she is leading is inspiring. It's really fun for me to be able to support her from the background and I’m grateful to be a part of her personal team now. As this race approaches, all of us in Heron rowing are incredibly proud of her hard work and will be cheering her on with full-throated support from across the Atlantic!”
Wertheimer talks frequently with Bugenhagen about rowing, sending him pictures and videos of practices for his feedback.
Once she has completed her master’s degree at Cambridge, Wertheimer plans to continue training at a high level full-time.
Beyond being inspired by HWS athletically, Wertheimer was inspired by the passion Associate Professor of Art and Architecture Angelique Szymanek had for art history. Szymanek guided Wertheimer with her undergraduate capstone and graduate dissertation.
“[Professor Szymanek] really opened my eyes to the fact that art history is not just old Byzantine or Renaissance paintings,” says Wertheimer. “She exposed me to social justice art history, Black art history and performance and installation art history, the last of which I did my last master’s dissertation on Civil War Confederate monuments at Rutgers. Without her teaching courses that went beyond typical art history, I would not be in my position.”
On campus, Wertheimer was a leader of the Outdoor Recreation Adventure Program during Orientation and worked in the Davis Gallery at Houghton House.
Top: Annie Wertheimer '22, second right from center, poses with her University of Cambridge team.
