In the 6 years I have been rowing since learning with Weyfarers, leaving Weybridge RC for another club or leaving rowing for another sport has not crossed my mind. That has got to be love, right!? I believe rowing has so much to offer with all the different boat classes and that Weybridge RC has a place (or a seat in a boat) for all - it just takes turning up, putting the kettle on, having a chat and going with the flow, sometimes literally. To be bored with rowing or bored with Weybridge Rowing is to be bored with life! Suffice to say, I hold dear our club and to our club motto: “Possunt qui posse videntur“ meaning “We can because we think we can”.
Before rowing stole my heart (and my spare time!), I was founding member of a grassroots volleyball club where people here too would give pitying or curious looks when discovering what I was in to given my height, or lack thereof. Still, in rowing as with volleyball, I discovered not only my love of another ‘tall-man’ sport but also that core to my being is beating the odds; not just for myself in terms of being one atypically short, lightweight rower competing against longer-limbed ‘heavyweights’ but also in terms of maintaining enjoyment, performance and coherence for every member in light of our beloved but ageing clubhouse, our beloved but ageing fleet, even our beloved selves ageing!
Rather than seeing these 3 core facets of the club as threats or weaknesses, I see them as
opportunities for realising individual and collective potential. These 3 opportunities are my top 3 priorities, for the here-and-now, where we are now, as well as where we hope to be in the relatively near future - more on this from Geoff T:
Your rowing development: rarely does a day goes by without being in some correspondence with any one of our coaches, vice captains / squad coordinators: Clive Capel (VC, Junior section), Eva Ferlez (VC, Women’s Competitive squad, pictured above in stroke with me), Rachel Kornberg (VC, all Novice/Improver squads), liaising with Paul Gray as Men’s squad coordinator
The Fleet Refresh programme working closely with our fleet sub-committee: Nick Coxhead, Rachel Kornberg, Clive Capel, Clive Curd and Geoff Thomas, and
Clubhouse development taking Geoff Thomas’ expert steer along with Dale Gowland, Ashley Tilling and John Turnbull.
There’s more… Being somewhat inclined to use technology, I have made it my other priority to exploit technology where it makes sense, in and out of the boat; not to show off and certainly not to be a hindrance or take the place of good ol’ conversation, but rather to make life off the water that little bit easier, and on the water, to know how and if we are making real gains.
Watch this space for a view of a new prototype version of our website, under construction as we speak. For now, you can download and print (A3) this wall calendar of race and social events, plus these...
Key dates for your diary
The events listed below are our key club events for the next year and when we need your help. Please keep these dates free by saving them to your diaries now:
Walton and Weybridge Regatta, Saturday June 9th, 2018
Weybridge Community Regatta, Friday August 3rd, 2018
Weybridge Silver Sculls, Saturday 20th October, 2018
Weybridge Winter Head, Saturday January 19th, 2019