Nouvelles sportives

Rowing BC Hosts Adaptive Rowing Weekend

20 05 2011

(Seulement disponible en anglais)

A very successful “Come and Try” Adaptive Rowing weekend was held May 7-8, 2011, at the John MS Lecky UBC boathouse in Richmond, BC.

The event was designed for everyone, from novice to high performance. The weekend started with a presentation by Meghan Montgomery, member of the Canada’s World Champion LTA 4+, on how high-performance sport has impacted her life. This was followed by sessions focused on practical training and coaching, with an emphasis on boat and erg work. These included instruction at the Richmond Olympic Oval’s indoor rowing tank, and on-water sessions using Wintech adaptive singles.

The coaching staff was led by Jeff Dunbrack, Lead Coach of the Rowing Canada Aviron Adaptive National Rowing Program, assisted by Martin George, Rowing BC Adaptive Coach.

Another feature of the weekend was the presence of Courtney Pollock, FISA International Classifier. Courtney was able to classify some of the athletes attending, and to educate coaches on the basic principles of the rowing classification system.

Angela Straker, Richmond Oval’s Program Manager for Fitness and Wellness, said “This is an exciting time for the Richmond Oval to see the rowing tank being used by adaptive participants. We recently purchased an adaptive erg seat and a transfer sled, to enable athletes with various disabilities to access this wonderful facility.”

Rowing BC’s Executive Director, Eron Main, was thrilled with the event. “Hosting this clinic is a great step forward for Rowing BC. We are committed to developing adaptive rowing from the grass-roots to the high performance level. Events like this provide a strong foundation for our program.”

The Adaptive Rowing Weekend was made possible with the funding support of Rowing Canada Aviron, Sport Canada, and The Hamber Foundation, and coaching support from the Canadian Sport Centre Pacific. Adaptive rowing equipment was provided through a grant from the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s Para-Equipment Fund.

For more information about adaptive rowing in BC contact Martin George, Adaptive Coach, at 250 307 7732, or by email to adaptivecoach@rowingbc.ca.