Results
Name
Wyatt Sumner
Team
Women’s Novice
Club
University College Dublin Rowing Club
Category
Wellbeing / Performance
Location
Dublin, Ireland
Meet Wyatt
In early 2026, Wyatt sat in a boat for the first time in his career. Six months later, he walked away from his first season with a national championship and 8 gold medals.
Wyatt started coxing on his parent's recommendation. A keen computer science student at University College Dublin, he's loved coxing since day one. "I absolutely loved coxing the second I got into the boat. It was an eye-opening experience where I could be part of a team."
The Challenge
When Wyatt began coxing, he was keen to make an impact. But a short coxing manual and the odd chat with more experienced coxswains weren't enough to help him learn the complexities of the role.
"Coxes kept telling me I'd figure it out as I went," Wyatt says. "But I kept thinking, how am I supposed to figure it out when I don't even know where to start?"
Wyatt felt unsupported in the role. "I didn't feel like I was supporting my crew in the best way I could." Inside and outside the boat, he was unsure about his coxing, with no clear way to get better.
How Cox Coach Helped
When Wyatt's father sent him the Cox Coach Instagram page, he instantly felt recognised as a coxswain. "As soon as I saw some of the videos, I reached out to the team, booked a meeting, and got set up."
"It was eye-opening to see a program built by coxes, for coxes, to teach coxes how to cox."
From the first lesson, Wyatt put the techniques into practice. "I still use the 6-step technical model every session.”
“Every time I logged onto the platform, my coxing felt stronger. I never had to second-guess a call. I'd just follow what Cox Coach told me, and it worked.” Even after finishing the lessons, Wyatt keeps going back through the modules. "I take new notes, and re-listen to my recordings with those insights in mind."
The Impact
Asked to describe the impact Cox Coach had, Wyatt said: "Eye-opening. Game-changing. It builds you into a stronger cox over time. You keep stacking new skills on top of active feedback."
"I have no idea where my coxing would be without Cox Coach this season. The impact it's had is astronomical. I can't picture my coxing without Cox Coach."
"When I listen back to my nationals recording, I can hear everything Cox Coach taught me. The vocal strategies, the silence, the structure, the strategy. It's all in there. You can feel the crew locked into the boat, and locked into my voice."
Feedback from Wyatt's teammates and coaches has been just as strong. Coaches have told him "they love" his coxing. Teammates say he's "consistently getting better week to week" and that he's the only cox they're "actually able to lock in to."
"I couldn't recommend Cox Coach enough."
