1967 December 23rd
Was when the first dulcet tones of Rosalind were heard
Her parents grinned like Cheshire cats but little did they know
That she was born to run and climb and row and row and row.
Her parents were both Methodists, they preached the Wesley way
That is partly why she is the lass she is today.
Perhaps their fishy sermons drove their pretty little daughter
To believe she had the strength to almost walk on water
At school she wasn’t sporty but that changed quite a bit
At Oxford when she said that it was time that she got fit
A bank tub by the boat house was where this girl with pluck
First discovered that her motions weren’t just strokes of luck
With two half blues behind her she took part in a trip
Around the Aegean in a Greek style battleship
It obviously was primitive, with 170 crew,
I’d like to know what happens when you’re desperate for the loo.
Not content with boats and blades or sailing in the wind
There was something more in store for racy Rosalind
In two important marathons Roz could not go wrong
Even though her feet became as corny as this song.
Just to ease the boredom in the year 2003
She enlisted in the Royal Geographical Society
While other girls her age were fast becoming social drinkers
She was scouring rain forests in search of long lost Incas.
Then, as normal people do when they have nought to do,
She spent three months on her own trekking round Peru
Three Peaks in Peru became the title of her book
‘Three peeks?’ I am sure she must have had a longer look
Her adventures kicked off at the age of 34
She had worked in offices and knew that there was more
Roz’s thirst for knowledge will have many passages
She may even learn her ancestors were savages
In the Atlantic boat race she’ll be on her own
Roz says that she’s doing it to grow her comfort zone
We admire your courage; we think that you’re so brave
Just to make you feel at home here’s a great big wave.
(at which point everybody put their arms in the air and gave a big double-handed wave…)
Song composed by John Preston, and performed by him at the charity breakfast presentation that took place in the City on 7th June.