Talk to anyone involved in the sport and they’ll tell you that, in some way, rowing changed their life. Whether it be a new set of friends, a new-found love of fitness, or a totally different outlook on life, there’s something about being in a boat that transforms people.

Dan Brown MBE is a Paralympic Gold medallist and three-time World Champion in the PR3 mixed coxed four, but his life-changing journey started in a place that will be familiar to many 91ÌÒÉ« members: in a stable boat, on a Learn to Row course, at his local club.

Dan was on a bridge in his home town of Reading when the rowing gods intervened. Looking for a way back into sport after a car accident had left him with injuries to his ankle and severed nerves in his arm, he spotted a familiar sight.

“Sport was a big part of my life up until my accident,” he explains. “I tried to find a sport that would fit my needs, but I couldn’t do anything that was load-bearing on my ankle. Then one day I was crossing Caversham Bridge and I saw these rowers, and they were sat down, so I thought, yeah, I’ll give that a go.”

The rowers Dan spotted were from Reading Rowing Club. He got in contact with the club, and at the start of 2010 signed up to a Learn to Row course.

“My first time at the club was on a Saturday morning, and I went and met Terry O’Sullivan, who was the novice coach at Reading at the time,” he says. “Terry put me in a single with stabilisers on the sides – a float boat – and I did a couple of half-hour sessions in that, and then I was put in an eight with the other beginner rowers at the club.”

Dan had recently taken redundancy from his job as a postman and found that being part of the club filled a gap in his life, but it was the support he got that kept him coming back for more.

“Terry was the driving force behind why I wanted to carry on rowing,” he says. “He was great at keeping everyone involved, made us feel that we all had a role in the boat, and at the club, and that he wanted you to be there.”

The drive that has made Dan one of the GB Rowing Team’s most successful Para athletes was on show even in these early days – although by his own admission his attention to detail left something to be desired.

“I’ve got so many great memories from back then, but my I think my favourite would be going to Peterborough Regatta in summer, racing in a four with my mates,” he says. “During the heats on Saturday, I picked up the wrong blades. I took the women’s blades, so they were all wrong, and then I caught a massive crab during the race, so we didn’t make the final.

“I went and sulked for a bit, but we were racing again the next day so we changed the boat up a bit, got the right blades, and then went through to the final on Sunday and won it.”

Dan went on to row at Henley Royal Regatta for Reading, then in 2012 continued his rowing journey by making the switch downriver to Upper Thames Rowing Club.

“Rowing at Upper Thames was a different ethos,” he admits. “Our coach Justin Sutherland wasn’t just talking about rowing at Henley Royal, he was talking about winning at it. Up until that point, rowing had been more about fun for me, so it was a big step up. And to be fair, that’s what I wanted.”

Stepping up for Dan also meant the prospect of trying out for the Para squad, although he insists that while he was a club rower, thoughts of Rio and the Paralympics were far from his mind.

“One of the coxes at Upper Thames knew my background and mentioned Para rowing,” he says. “I’d really not thought about it before that, and it definitely wasn’t part of a bigger plan. But I thought I’d give it a go and contacted 91ÌÒÉ«.”

Pretty soon Dan was part of the programme and facing his first day at the GB Rowing Team’s training base in Caversham, just a short trip from where he first sat in a boat.

“It was a bit nerve-wracking seeing all these medallists in one place,” he admits. “You looked around and there was Alex Gregory, Moe Sbihi, Katherine Grainger – all the big stars in the sport, all in one place. But you realise pretty quickly that they’re there to do a job, and I was there to do mine.”

So how did it feel to go from being a club rower to a funded athlete? “The training load was the biggest difference. At Upper Thames, the training was Monday to Thursday and double sessions on a Saturday and Sunday. When you’re in the Para squad it can be multiple sessions every day, and they’re much more intense. But we have really good coaches and support staff to get us through it, and I know I’m really lucky to be doing something I enjoy.”

As well as the step-up in training and the star colleagues, Dan also experienced another first: rowing in a mixed boat. “I’d never rowed in a mixed crew before – not even for fun events at summer regattas,” he says. “But you don’t do anything different in a mixed boat than any other boat. You don’t even think about it. You’re just a crew. That’s how you think.”

In the run-up to the Rio Games, Dan and his PR3 crew won gold at the World Championships in Amsterdam in 2014, and again a year later in 2015 in Aiguebelette. But the chance to win Paralympic Gold is something else. With the stakes so high and the world watching, what goes through an athlete’s mind during the final?

“I’d spoken a lot to our psychologist before Rio and he gave me some mental prompts on how to think in the race situation,” Dan explains. “That’s what I went back to during the final, especially the start of the race – those first five, ten strokes. After that, it’s just about concentrating on what you need to and listening to the cox. He knew our strengths and weaknesses, and what to push us on.”

Dan and crew went on to take Gold, but the after-party wasn’t the full-on carnival you might expect. “There were all the protocols after the race and about 15 interviews, so I didn’t get to see my family until about 10.30 at night. I had two beers and was in bed by midnight. When I got home, that’s when the parties started!”

From Reading novices to Rio Gold is an amazing journey, but the part of it that really changed Dan’s life was being able to share the experience with his daughter.

“Having my daughter there to share my success has been truly special for me. It was absolutely amazing to have her there along the way, being able to experience the special moments, to see us win.”

And if he hadn’t just happened to have been on Caversham Bridge when a rowing boat passed by, where does Dan think he’d be now?

“I think I’d still have found my way into it,” he insists. “And in all honesty, even if I wasn’t funded I’d be still be rowing. I’d be doing a normal 9 to 5 job then rowing in the evening and weekends. That’s been the big difference in my life, getting funded to do something that I truly enjoy – but I’d be part of the sport no matter what.”

The Para-rowing programme is always looking for the future stars of the GB Rowing Team. So if you think you have what it takes, click here to find out more.

The post How Rowing Changed My Life – Dan Brown appeared first on 91ÌÒÉ«.

After celebrating a fifth medal success at the Mizuno 91ÌÒÉ« Indoor Championships last December, 74-year-old Roger Stainforth recently took on the Big Pink Ergo 100km Challenge with fellow rowers to raise funds for breast cancer charities.

Roger tells the story below:

Here’s a question that might test even the teams in Brain of Britain. What connects Burns Night, 27 people aged seven to 74, 100km on the ergo, breast cancer and Harry Potter?

The answer begins at Durham ARC’s Burns Night supper back in January.

A day or two earlier, a message had appeared on the club noticeboard announcing that Durham University student Alexandra Nicholas was organising a Big Pink Ergo 100km Challenge for teams to raise money for breast cancer charities on 24 February.

The event was to be held at Durham ARC where we have a fleet of new rowing machines. It was very poignant for me because my wife Hazel had recently undergone surgery and radiotherapy treatment for breast cancer.

As it turned out, 24 February was not a good day for many Durham ARC people, so Alexandra was happy to move the challenge to Sunday 3 March.

I had experience of being a member of two 100km world record-setting 70+ relay teams and didn’t think the frenetic race format would work for a charity event. So we decided on four squads of four core rowers, each rowing 500m in relays for two hours, with others joining in when convenient for them. It worked out really well; a total of 27 people participated with many staying all day to do their bit in each of the four squads.

Appropriately kitted out all in pink, Hazel set the event going at 9.30am with the first 500m, did more 500m stints during the course of the day and took us through the final moments as the meter counted down to zero.

What about the statistics of the day? The 100km was achieved by 27 rowers in 7 hours, 3 minutes, 6.6 seconds, at an average split of 2.06.9 and stroke rate of 26. I’d thought 7Âœ-8 hours would be achievable but what happens when you have competitive people taking turns on ergos? They compete!

Between my 500m pieces, I was treated to pictures and stories about Harry Potter

We all enjoyed the assertive 500m pieces by former GB rower Tom Edwards, powering to split-times of which the rest of us can only dream. There were some notable 500m by the women and as the metres ticked down so did the projected time.

What about the final clue and Harry Potter? No, he wasn’t in the team, but he was in the mind of our youngest and most determined rower, seven-year-old Sophia, who asked me – the oldest in the team – “Do you know about Harry Potter?” I had to confess that I didn’t know much.

Thereafter, between my 500m pieces, I was treated to pictures and stories about Mr Potter. Perhaps 91ÌÒÉ« could introduce something similar at BRIC 2019!

So far, the money raised for breast cancer charities is £770 and there’s more to come.

Thank you to everyone for the wonderful efforts, generosity and the cakes and flapjacks that sustained us through the seven hours. Together we can beat the Big C and a little useful wave of the wand from Harry Potter wouldn’t go amiss as well.

We’d love to hear what your club has been up to – you can share #YourStories here

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Alice Vodden has had chronic muscular pain for two years, causing her pain during both water and land training sessions. The rower has undergone four operations and is keen to increase awareness of chronic exertional compartment syndrome within the rowing community.

She talks about her experiences below:

“I learnt to row at the age of 14, on the picturesque shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland where I was fortunate enough to grow up. After a few years of falling in numerous times and attempting to perfect my questionable technique, I began to compete in national and international regattas, reaching the A-final at the 2014 Swiss Championships in the junior women’s quad.

“After finishing school, I returned back to the UK, where I joined the University of Warwick Boat Club, training six days a week while studying for my undergraduate degree.

“Throughout the year, while I was able to row and train to a high level, including qualifying for Henley Women’s Regatta in 2017, I began to experience pain in my forearms, which over time, increased in severity.

The pain became so significant during training that I was no longer able to row

“Presumed at first to be a case of poor technique, I managed the pain by increasing rest in between sessions, and occasionally swapping some longer ergs for the bike. Yet despite these precautionary measures, the pain became so significant during training that I was no longer able to row, and in April 2018, I was admitted to hospital, where I was diagnosed with chronic compartment syndrome in both arms.

“After undergoing a total of four operations, thanks to the incredible work of the medical team at both Harrogate and the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, I am now able to exercise again. I am continuing to undergo physiotherapy to ensure an optimal recovery, and whilst I have not yet been back on the water, I hope to be one day soon.”

What is chronic exertional compartment syndrome?

Chronic exertional compartment syndrome is rare but may be seen in athletes, causing extreme pain and swelling in the affected muscles. It will usually disappear when exercise stops but will often reoccur when exercise continues.

If identified and treated at an early stage, this condition can be effectively managed through physiotherapy, a change in technique, or a significantly reduced training schedule, allowing athletes to continue to row.

However, if the condition worsens beyond a certain point, the only treatment option is an operation in order to release the pressure in the compartments.

Chronic exertional compartment syndrome is rare but may be seen in athletes

If you have chronic muscular pain then you should be seen by a healthcare professional in order to best address the issue – and ensure you can enjoy your time out on the water for many years to come.

Find out more .

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Rewind to Friday 12 August 2016 when Helen Glover and Heather Stanning won a second Olympic gold medal at the Rio Olympics. Back at , where they used to row, club member Ben Hawkes was nervously following their race with clubmates at the Boathouse pub next door.

“We screamed a lot and had a few lemonades and, walking home, I started humming and came up with the first line of the song,” recalls Hawkes. He found a welcome collaborator in Mark Dunnell and, over two years, the humming developed into .

Hawkes says: “Before Mark got involved it was a second-rate folk song; he added the strings and general fairy dust that really made it pop.”

Then the whole club became involved in digging out photos of racing, training and general tomfoolery for a ‘top secret’ project about the club.

Some images also pay tribute to the club’s early links with the suffragette movement, reflected in the Minerva purple, one of the three suffragette colours which represents loyalty.

The photos were turned into a video, with Hawkes adding modestly: “The quality of the pictures was top notch so all I had to do was put them in a semblance of order and click ‘play’ on a slideshow application.”

I just wanted to reflect the soul of the club

When the top secret project was finally unveiled at the 2018 annual dinner, club members were amazed to see the result, and equally amazed to hear Hawkes singing!

“There were a few people welling up which is always a good sign!” he says.

“I just wanted to reflect the soul of the club which ultimately is its members and its history. Every club has its characters who have the club running through their veins. We have lots. They’re brilliant and I’m proud to say they’re my friends and crewmates.

“When I joined in 2013 I was going through a severe bout of depression. A friend told me to focus on one thing to get through and I focused on my Concept2. That led me to Minerva.

“The club and the sport helped pull me through a dark time in my life and for that, I’ll always be thankful. I figured that this was a good way of repaying that kindness.”

This story originally featured in Rowing & Regatta magazine. 

The post Row Yourself Home with Minerva Bath Rowing Club’s latest video appeared first on 91ÌÒÉ«.

(BRC) has seen an influx of female involvement over recent years, with more girls and women taking up taster sessions and rowing courses.

Situated in the heart of the city centre at Edgbaston Reservoir, BRC is keen to continue to provide the right facilities for girls and women in the sport. Thanks to investment through , BRC has been awarded a £10,000 grant to purchase a new boat designed specifically for women. The boat will be a coxed four – one of the most popular boat classes at the club.

BRC President Peter Veitch said: “This grant is fantastic news for our club, which is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Birmingham.

“The club’s membership is now 52% female, with our recent increase in women rowers perhaps owed to the Olympic successes of high profile GB rowers like Katherine Grainger, Heather Stanning and Helen Glover.

“We are a thriving and inclusive sports club, and thanks to Sport England’s investment, the new boat will allow us to offer greater opportunities for more women to be active on the water. And as the city begins to focus on hosting the in 2022, we’re gearing up to welcome anyone, at any level, who wants to get involved in this great sport.”

The club is due to take delivery of the new boat later this autumn, and as well as a naming ceremony, it will be hosting a number of initiatives over the coming year to promote and welcome female involvement in rowing. For information about how to get involved click .

We would love to hear any stories that you have about your club or community. Why not share them with us via #YourStories.

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In early October, adaptive rower Paul Smith sculled solo over 30 miles down the Solent from Portsmouth to the Needles Rocks in five hours, 29 minutes. The row was in preparation for crossing the English Channel next year.

The 59-year-old has been in a wheelchair for the last 14 years following a traffic accident and 12 years with locked in syndrome. But fiercely determined, Smith has been fundraising for years on land – pushing his wheelchair from Portsmouth to London and beyond – and in the sky, where he has skydived and abseiled for his charities. So now he is turning his attention to the sea.

However, until April this year, Smith had never rowed before, let alone sculling in a sliding seat, coastal boat. The furthest he’d rowed before the Needles adventure was almost six miles the week before.

He said: “I was pleased to finish the row. We reached 26 miles – the channel is 23 miles – in four and a half hours, so it seemed rude not to carry on and reach the Needles!“

“The sea was a little bit too calm for me – I could have done with a more of a swell, so I could practise eating and drinking.”

However, although calm and warm, the weather was also very misty with a sea fog hanging over the sea right across the Solent.

“As we approached the Needles Rocks, they disappeared behind a bank of fog!”

It forced a revised route that went to the north, hugging the Southsea sea front and eventually crossing the main shipping channel at Calshot, before a breeze finally blew away the mist and gave away to a lovely, sunny, day.

Smith learned to row at and was coached by Mike Gilbert, who followed the Solent row in a safety boat.

“I got in touch about a coastal scull and Mike was willing to coach on the promise that I’d do all the training,” said Smith.

“We’ve been out a lot on sunny days. You’re out in the middle of the sea, it’s been good. I just row to enjoy it and make a difference to people’s lives.”

Crossing the English Channel will be Smith’s 15th challenge, with his previous challenges raising an incredible £2.3 million overall for charities over the years.

He is looking for a sponsor for his Channel crossing so if you are interested then please get in touch. You can support his Channel row .

We would love to hear any stories that you have about your club or community. Why not share them with us via #YourStories.

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