A MADRID-BORN PhD student in Computational Neuroscience was part of the winning crew at this year's Oxford and Cambridge boat race, which the latter won for the second consecutive year and in both the men's and the women's race.
Described as a 'genius', Adriana Pérez (pictured right) is the daughter of scientist parents and was schooled at the Lycée Française, representing them in the 2012 Mathematics Olympics, graduated in maths and physics from the University of Columbia, USA, and her glowing academic CV meant she had the option to choose between the UK's two most prestigious higher education centres to research her doctoral thesis.
Both offered her a full scholarship, and she opted for Cambridge in the end, where her sporting prowess has also been highly appreciated.
An all-rounder, Adriana runs marathons, competes in triathlons and is a competent and successful rower - enough to be picked for the first eight and to help her fellow female oarswomen to their third victory on the trot in the gruelling race.
Cambridge women beat Oxford women, taking their overall tally to 44-30, and Adriana has become the first Spaniard ever to row to victory in the famous Putney-to-Mortlake race.
For the second year running, Cambridge beat Oxford in the men's race, taking their overall tally to 84-80 - which was hardly surprising, given that the winners of the 165th boat race had one of the UK's best ever rowers in the boat.
James Cracknell (pictured above left, with his team) won an Olympic gold medal at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, and is also now the oldest-ever competitor in the Oxford and Cambridge boat race's history, at the age of 46.
