The Old Diocesan Issue 12 - Magazine - Page 42
determined to get there. It feels
great to be playing well enough to
perform at this level, but I’m fully
aware that I need to keep working
hard to get better and more
comfortable in all situations.
Maintaining it > making it!
There are high expectations
at this level, and handling them
is important. I like to believe that
I’m still the same Sacha. I try not
to let it get to my head, and I try
to stay true to my friends and
teammates around me, because
rugby is a team sport and there
is little space for ego. Outside
of the team, my family is really
important to me because they
keep me focused on who I am.
I think the key to my success
so far is that I’ve received great
coaching, but I’ve also been given
freedom to express myself on
the field. Behind that is all the
hard work, all the gym sessions,
all the hours spent practising
kicking on my own, and the
teams of physios and others who
work hard to keep me in shape.
There are so many people in the
background in rugby teams who
make massive contributions to the
success of the team, but seldom
get the recognition they deserve.
And then, of course, there is
Bishops. The school has played
such a big part in my life from
a very early age. If you look at
professional rugby players,
the vast majority come from
traditional rugby schools, where
we’ve been exposed to good
coaching. I remember when
I was at the Prep, I’d watch my
brother Nathan’s sports games,
exposing me to the environment
from a young age. I have so many
great friendships from Bishops,
which I really appreciate, and
I still love sneaking onto the
Piley to practise my kicking – it
almost feels like I’m practising
in my own backyard.
38 | THE OLD DIOCESAN
Laurence Midgley
Sacha’s advice to young ODs
Being nervous is normal, but if
you’ve done your practice, know
your details and are confident
in yourself, the nerves quickly
disappear. There simply isn’t time
for it in a game. I know it sounds
clichéd, but working hard is a
must; you don’t get to the top by
relying on talent alone, or cutting
corners. And choose a career that
you’re passionate about – you need
to eat, sleep and breathe it if you
really want to be the best.
LAURENCE MIDGLEY
Co-founder and CTO, age 28
Laurence Midgley (2015B) is the cofounder and CTO of Angstrom AI, a
startup that uses artificial intelligence
to rethink drug development.
Having begun his career in academic
research – including time spent at
Cambridge and Stanford universities
– Laurence stepped into the
uncertain world of entrepreneurship.
He relocated across the Atlantic
after his company received funding
from Y Combinator, the startup
accelerator that financed Airbnb,
Dropbox and Reddit, among others.
I
’m currently building a startup
that uses AI-based molecular
simulations to replace wet-lab
experiments in drug development.
I founded the company in early
2024 with three co-founders,
and moved from the UK to San
Francisco, where we based the
company. The biggest shifts in
my career have happened over
the past two years.
Originally, I was working on
AI physics simulations purely
for research as a graduate student.
Over time, my collaborators and
I became really excited about
the commercial potential of the
work. We realised that it wasn’t
just academically interesting but
that it could actually be useful, so
we decided to start a company.
Very early on, when we had
only an idea, we applied to the US
startup accelerator Y Combinator.
We were accepted, and as soon as
