Stratford Boat Club’s Curtis Makes Rowing World Cup, has been selected to represent Great Britain in the Rowing World Cup in Varese Italy on the weekend of 13-15th June.
He will be the first local pararower to compete for Great Britain since the Club’s James Roe won Gold at London 2012 and Curtis is the first from the Club’s adaptive squad formed with just two members in 2015.
The section has become a nursery for emerging paralympic talent, Curtis had competed in a number of sports before his catastrophic car accident in 2019. In May 2023, Stratford’s adaptive coaching team were asked by Great Britain’s talent scouts to develop Curtis as a pararower. He had never been in a boat before that moment, eighteen months of many very early mornings and much tough training followed. By late November 2024, Curtis was considered good enough to be taken on full time by the GB squad: only seven months later
he will get his first GB vest.
Head Adaptive Coach Mark Dewdney said, “His selection is testimony to sheer hard work – by himself and my team. There is no doubt he has blossomed with the professional support GB can provide. But Stratford laid the foundations. Varese will be a small but significant step along the road to what we hope will end at the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028. Stratford’s adaptive squad’s essential mission is to provide enjoyable rowing to the those that have an impairment. We wish to be able to do both support the club rower and develop top performing athletes: all 
our plans have that in mind. With support from the Club and elsewhere, Stratford has the opportunity to be a dominant force in our sport: we cannot do it alone. The schedule for Varese indicates Curtis’ race at 16.10hrs UK Time Heat on Friday 13th and then the final at 10.50hrs on Sunday 15 June.”
For media coverage, see Stratford Herald page forty eight and online https://www.stratford-herald.com/sport/hard-work-pays-off-as-curtis-earns-great-britain-selection-9421214 and also Stratford Observer online https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/sport/rowing-stratford-boat-club-adaptive-athlete-earns-place-in-great-britains-world-rowing-cup-squad and back sports page https://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/editions/view/?/Stratford/2025/06/13&pages=24