Tag Archives: Sofia Ward

Toyota Community Fund Pushes The Boat Out!

Posted on by

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club recently took possession of a new double scull (boat) to replace one that had to be decommissioned due to age and wear: this purchase was part sponsored by a grant from the Toyota Community Fund. Some of donation was also used buy a set of specially modified blades (sculling oars) for adaptive athletes

The Toyota Community Fund is a programme of small grants designed to help local charities, schools and community projects. Since its inception in 2011, the fund has supported over six hundred and fifty projects and provided over £1million in sponsorship. This investment has helped support social-focussed projects aimed to benefit health and wellbeing

Commenting, Mark Dewdney, Stratford Boat Club’s Head Adaptive Coach said, “The new boat means that Stratford Boat Club’s adaptive section can offer rowing coaching to a wider audience of disabled rowers who need specialised equipment for their sport so that they can compete, train and participate at a higher level: this has meant recently that our two of our adaptive squad were invited to take part in British Rowing’s GB Paralympic trials and will be progressing on British Rowing’s Paralympic Training Pathway Programme with training camps in the UK and also overseas. Thanks to Toyota Community Fund for their grant which has made this possible”

The specially commissioned blades have already shown their worth as Stratford Boat Club’s youngest adaptive athlete has been able to scull at a higher level than before and has gone on to win competitions and has set his sights on more wins!

The newly acquired double has been named ‘Mustardseed’ in Stratford Boat Club tradition after characters in Shakespeare’s plays: ‘Mustardseed’ is one of the fairies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Paul Stanton, Stratford Boat Club’s President said, “The Toyota Community Fund grant also means that the equipment bought can also be used by the rest of the Club’s squads for general recreational and training use as well as the more inclusive mixed ability rowing with adaptive and able bodied athletes rowing together”

Another first at the weekend was the accreditation of two new Level Two coaches Sofia Ward and Jake Blatcher who were on the recent British Rowing adaptive coaching course earlier in the year: Sofia and Jake join the cohort of Stratford Boat Club’s volunteer coaches who give their time coaching the Club’s junior, adaptive, senior and masters squads

For media coverage, see British Rowing online https://www.britishrowing.org/2023/11/toyota-community-fund-pushes-the-boat-out-at-stratford-upon-avon and Stratford Herald online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/grant-helps-club-buy-replacement-requirement-9342272 and page thirty nine

A First for Stratford’s Adaptives: A First for British Rowing

Posted on by

Last weekend was the final and second two day weekend coaches’ course for para and able bodied athletes: a first for British Rowing and also a first for Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s adaptive section!

Stratford Boat Club’s adaptive section has recently been held up as an exemplar for para rowing in the United Kingdom: this has only been possible with the support of local Stratford and Warwickshire companies and regional and national organisations. The course is run by British Rowing’s Dr Perse Wynn, L3 Senior Club and L2 Strength and Conditioning Coach and Marcus Walker, Level 2 and L3 Course Coach: the extensive four day course covered topics such as risk management; warming up and cooling down exercises; understanding the assessment process, coaching behaviours, the code of conduct, responsibility, safety requirements; cold water immersion and hypothermia; developing athleticism and the practical application of boat adjustments

On the course were Sofia Ward, Jake Blatcher, Gillian Middleton and Kelly Donald, all members of Stratford Boat Club’s adaptive squad and Imogen North who is trainee coach with Stratford juniors’ J15 squad

Also on the course was Rachel Morris from Guildford Rowing Club: Rachel has enjoyed a successful career as a hand-cyclist, winning time trial gold at Beijing 2008 and a bronze medal in the road race at London 2012. Seeking a new challenge, Rachel transferred to rowing in 2013 and won an outstanding gold medal in the PR1 (arms and shoulders only) women’s single scull boat at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Shoulder surgery following the Rio Games sadly curtailed Morris’s rowing career and she left the squad in 2017 and now rows and coaches at Guildford in Surrey.

Commenting, Mark Dewdney, Stratford Boat Club’s Head Adaptive Coach said, “To have the British Rowing (BR) coaches’ course at Stratford is a major benefit and shows BR’s commitment to Stratford’s adaptive squad and para rowing in the UK. The emphasis of the course is to teach the participants how to be a coach first and then how to adapt their new skills to para rowing”

Commenting further, Paul Stanton, Stratford Boat Club’s President said, “Mark’s commitment to the Stratford’s adaptive squad and para rowing in general is an example of dedication producing results. We are also most grateful to Crowne Plaza Stratford for providing Rachel’s accommodation which has enabled her to join the course”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page fifty three; Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratfords-adaptives-and-british-rowing-achieve-first-with-para-coaching-course and back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2023/04/21&pages=032 and British Rowing https://www.britishrowing.org/2023/04/adaptive-rowers-go-on-coaching-course

Stratford’s Adaptive Squad Show Promise at Oxford and Juniors Finish 2020 Competition!

Posted on by

Stratford upon Avon Boat Club’s adaptive (disabled) squad raced at Oxford on the weekend. Building on recent success, they won five events and came extremely close to winning a couple more.

The Oxford City Rowing Club regatta was solely for disabled rowers with the usual two day regatta being cancelled for Covid reasons.

Pride of place goes to Kelly Donald in the wheelchair user women’s single sculls event. Competing in her first event, she beat a plucky and experienced City of Oxford sculler in the final by a little over a length.

James Bastin’s win in beating his Stratford colleague Gillian Middleton in the final of a doubles event was also a first win in his first event. A great performance from the visually and physically impaired athlete. Gillian competed in two events and a win for her must surely be just around the corner.

Xander van der Poll, a Stratford Great Britain Paralympic hopeful, won a very close final against another Oxford opponent. Further wins were completed by Ian Ward supported by his sister Sofia and Hattie Throssell with Paola Ward.

The unluckiest pair of the day were Jake Blatcher and Dan Godefroy. Competing in two events, they lost the finals by just a foot in each case. Steve Binns, in his fifties, had a tough draw against a much younger Guildford opponent.

The squad’s next outing is at Stratford Boat Club’s own regatta on Saturday 18th September.

Not to be out done, Stratford Boat Club’s Junior Squad was in action over the weekend finalising the concluding junior heats of the 2020 President’s Sculls. Yes, 2020 President’s Sculls, just over a year after the first races and very much in the style of Tokyo Olympics affected by Covid restrictions and disruptions!

Some close racing was delivered by Freya Watts as this year’s junior champion who won by one length in the final.

Said Steve Wellstead, Junior Co-ordinator and J17/18 Performance Squad Coach, “Well done to all entrants: we’ll be having the trophy presentation soon!”

The original trophy was initially presented by Ian Cartwright, the then Captain, to Derek Eardley in 2004 during his tenure as President of Stratford Boat Club to mark his many years of service to the Club and was to be raced for annually in coxed fours.

Over the years, the competition faded from the annual calendar and was reinstated comparatively recently as an annual sculling competition in three categories – women, men and juniors.

Paul Stanton, Stratford upon Avon Boat Club President commented, “We hope that the President’s Sculls award will continue to inspire all members to continue with sculling at a high level and further contribute to all sections of the Club mixing and communicating with each other. Our congratulations go to Freya Watts who has won the Junior Award. Our thanks go to all those who supervised this final by marshalling and safety spotting on the bank and from the launch.”

For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page fifty five