An Introduction
A little bit about myself and the project.
I'll quickly introduce myself - my name is Tom Fox and I have just
completed my first undergraduate year reading Chemistry
at Durham University.
Before Durham, without fail, I would watch the Oxbridge boat race in
admiration. Being 6ft 3, I knew that as soon as I joined university I would
'give it a go' and sign up for rowing. As a collegiate university I discovered
that I would be able to balance the demands of both rowing and my course by
joining my college team, Grey College Boat Club (GCBC). Looking back on my
first year I can say that it was one of the best decisions I have made.
I have always had a determined and ambitious nature and rowing fuelled
these attributes further. For the first two terms our training consisted of two
water sessions (rowing in a boat on the River Wear), an ergo session (rowing
lingo for a rowing machine), and circuits (performing various muscle fitness
exercises, e.g. squats). On top of this I would carry out additional personal
training on an ergo as I found myself almost subconsciously striving to achieve
improve.
We competed in regional regattas during our final term. When competing
at York, one of the seats in the boat broke, resulting in a loss by only a
canvas (the length between the end of the boat and the first man). At Hexham
regatta, our crew borrowed a boat that was in a far greater condition, and as a
result, reached the semi-finals - including a three-length victory against the
same crew we raced at York. The training had paid off but the condition of our
own boat had withheld our potential (despite the fact our training sessions are
often slowed down or cancelled due to boats having to be repaired – the club
often jokes our boats are made of duct tape!).
It was from this result - and a couple of pints in the college bar -
that got me thinking. How could I raise money for the club to purchase a new
boat?
A new boat for a crew of eight does not come cheap, costing north of
£15,000. With this in mind, I set out to raise a target of £10,000. Such an
ambitious goal required an equally ambitious challenge, and therefore I decided
to undertake the 24 hour rowing challenge. The challenge requirement is to row
on an ergo every hour for 24 hours (with breaks for meals and toilet trips of
course!). This is why I set a minimum distance of 200,000m. To a casual observer,
a rowing machine may look deceptively easy. However, rowing is a demanding
exercise, it has been shown to use up to 85% of the body’s musculature. Rowing
the equivalent distance of Durham to Glasgow will be incredibly challenging
both physically and mentally.
This year as part of GCBC I have found myself a part of not just a
sports club but a wide, loving family. Joining the club allowed me to get to
know people who shared the same passion and interests both in and out of
rowing. My hope is that, if this project is successful, I can help bring the
same fantastic experience to current and future members as I had.
Tom
I'll quickly introduce myself - my name is Tom Fox and I have just
completed my first undergraduate year reading Chemistry
at Durham University.
Before Durham, without fail, I would watch the Oxbridge boat race in
admiration. Being 6ft 3, I knew that as soon as I joined university I would
'give it a go' and sign up for rowing. As a collegiate university I discovered
that I would be able to balance the demands of both rowing and my course by
joining my college team, Grey College Boat Club (GCBC). Looking back on my
first year I can say that it was one of the best decisions I have made.
I have always had a determined and ambitious nature and rowing fuelled
these attributes further. For the first two terms our training consisted of two
water sessions (rowing in a boat on the River Wear), an ergo session (rowing
lingo for a rowing machine), and circuits (performing various muscle fitness
exercises, e.g. squats). On top of this I would carry out additional personal
training on an ergo as I found myself almost subconsciously striving to achieve
improve.
We competed in regional regattas during our final term. When competing
at York, one of the seats in the boat broke, resulting in a loss by only a
canvas (the length between the end of the boat and the first man). At Hexham
regatta, our crew borrowed a boat that was in a far greater condition, and as a
result, reached the semi-finals - including a three-length victory against the
same crew we raced at York. The training had paid off but the condition of our
own boat had withheld our potential (despite the fact our training sessions are
often slowed down or cancelled due to boats having to be repaired – the club
often jokes our boats are made of duct tape!).
It was from this result - and a couple of pints in the college bar -
that got me thinking. How could I raise money for the club to purchase a new
boat?
A new boat for a crew of eight does not come cheap, costing north of
£15,000. With this in mind, I set out to raise a target of £10,000. Such an
ambitious goal required an equally ambitious challenge, and therefore I decided
to undertake the 24 hour rowing challenge. The challenge requirement is to row
on an ergo every hour for 24 hours (with breaks for meals and toilet trips of
course!). This is why I set a minimum distance of 200,000m. To a casual observer,
a rowing machine may look deceptively easy. However, rowing is a demanding
exercise, it has been shown to use up to 85% of the body’s musculature. Rowing
the equivalent distance of Durham to Glasgow will be incredibly challenging
both physically and mentally.
This year as part of GCBC I have found myself a part of not just a
sports club but a wide, loving family. Joining the club allowed me to get to
know people who shared the same passion and interests both in and out of
rowing. My hope is that, if this project is successful, I can help bring the
same fantastic experience to current and future members as I had.
Tom
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