Across the Pond: Rowing in England and Iowa with Scarlett Maleham

PHOTO: Brian Ray/hawkeyesports.com Scarlett Maleham is one of eight Hawkeyes from Great Britain and has rowed primarily for Iowa's Varsity Eight boat this season.

Did you know that the University of Iowa has more rowers from Great Britain—eight in total—than any other Big Ten Conference school?

Junior Scarlett Maleham says it’s great to have so many British teammates, which helps everyone adapt to living so far away from home.

“It’s nice having other women from Great Britain on the team because we connect closely due to our shared experiences back home,” says Maleham. “Coming to the U.S. is a big change, and it’s nice having people here who have been through the same. It gives me a sense of home, even being 4,000 miles away.”

The appeal of the U.S. and Iowa athletics

Maleham was a swimmer by age 9, and at age 13, her parents suggested she take up rowing—a popular sport in the U.K. She began to learn how to row, including boat handling, equipment training, and on-the-water preparation.

“I loved it, so I got started at a local club, and then I got a scholarship to go to a prep school where I rowed for two years,” Maleham says. “We did really well, and my team won the 2022 Henley Women’s Regatta, the premier regatta for women in the United Kingdom. I got noticed by Iowa, and I thought it would be a really cool opportunity to row in the U.S.”

While rowing is a popular sport in the U.K., Maleham wasn’t prepared for the scope of college athletics in the U.S.

“It was a big adjustment to go from being on a team of just eight to a 75-woman team at Iowa,” says Maleham. “It’s quite amazing to be part of such a big opportunity like this with all the university does for us and the amount of funding, time, and resources that go into our sport. It’s been a great three years so far.”

PHOTO: Stephen Mally/hawkeyesports.com Iowa's Scarlett Maleham and Orla Cuffe during last fall's Iowa Chase event on the Iowa River.

Taking the helm with her heart at home

Having experienced the transition and challenges of coming to Iowa from Great Britain herself, Maleham, a business management major, now takes freshmen from the U.K. and other parts of the world under her wing.

“Now that I am a junior, I have more of a leadership position on the team, and I’m able to share my experience and my knowledge of the sport with newcomers,” Maleham says. “I’m able to be supportive, answer questions, and help drive our team forward with the goal of going to the NCAAs.”

From time zone challenges to food—and much more—Maleham does miss a few things from her home country.

“I really miss my family, and it’s challenging to even talk by phone with a six-hour time difference,” says Maleham. “I miss roast dinner, a very classic English pub meal with roasted meat, roasted potatoes, gravy, Yorkshire pudding, and more. I haven’t found anything like that here.”