Background
Dowbiggin grew up in Cambridge, attending Chesteron Community College and Impington International 6th Form College.
Dowbiggin grew up in Cambridge, attending Chesteron Community College and Impington International 6th Form College.
She studied for a Bachelor in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge.
She started coxing as an undergraduate, and went on to cox the 2004 Cambridge University Lightweight Men's Boat race crew. After enrolling for a Doctor of Philosophy in 2005, she coxed the 2006 Cambridge University Women"s Blue Boat. Dowbiggin also coxed the England Women"s Eight to a gold medal at the Commonwealth Rowing Championships in 2006 and the Great Britain Women"s Eight to a bronze medal at the 2007 European Rowing Championships.