Rowing NSW Sprint Championships: 8th December 2019

10/12/2019

The air quality was again a concern on Sunday however unlike the day before, with an earlier start and a condensed schedule due to numerous withdrawals from various clubs, the entire event went ahead. We had very good racing conditions all day and this lead to some good times and results.

We had sixteen rowers compete for us on the day and we had some very good results. While it is noted that many withdrawals were present especially in the older age categories the results were none the less very good and something everyone involved in should be proud of. Please find a list of medallists below.

I will not detail every race however I will reflect on the performance of the club generally. The amount of wins and medals is something that some could look at as the success of the day but for me this is not the case. I do think we had a very successful regatta but rather because I could see the improvements all of the rowers involved have made over time. For some these improvements are from the start of the year having only begun rowing this year (though some still do not know what way a gate goes) while for others this was a culmination of years of effort. The hours put in before the race are what determines the result on the day in a large part and racing gives rowers feedback on their progress. While I only give praise sparingly (if at all) I will say that I was happy with many of the performances on the day.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the day/weekend possible. A moment from the day before I will not forget was when the young boys were struggling to carry their boat and without hesitation two fellow rowers jumped on to help out. This to me is what it is all about, in being part of a club, being part of something bigger than yourself. This report would not be complete without a special mention to Mark who I am sure will thank me for mentioning him in another report.

Before I finish I must mention one last thing. As those on the day would be aware I made a bet involving pushups based on the result of a particular race. Unfortunately for me I lost and had to do 100 pushups which was hard in itself and I can still feel the effects 5 days later. I know many rowers enjoyed this sight and found joy in my pain and I will share some photos for those who missed out.