Monmouth #NSRMemories

Monmouth, a small town on the border of Wales and England, is a busy hub of Welsh junior rowing with four different junior programmes. We have prided ourselves as club with a positive hard-working attitude built around striving towards on improving on the previous benchmarks set before. While our older athletes pursue national success, at the core of all our athletes is the enjoyment and fulfilment the sport can give. Here at MCSBC we try and allow our juniors take ownership and responsibility. Whether that be the care required to maintaining the quality of a boat or understanding the use of technology in the sport. Rowing is part of the school experience and the time we use in and around training is helps builds the skills needed for later in life. We might not be the biggest school or a club regularly challenging for the top prizes but our aim is to help develop students into being the best they can be both on and off the water. We hope to be pushing again when National Schools Regatta returns next year.

- Matthew Royston, Head of Rowing

I am definitely missing rowing since lockdown started. This time last year we were preparing for the extremely competitive National schools regatta at Eton Dorney. Surprisingly, the main thing I miss about rowing is the early morning training. It is always so good to get up in the morning and get out on the river, feeling like I have had the best of the day, especially when the sun is shining! I am also really missing all of my rowing friends, because of constant training I usually see them almost everyday so it has definitely been hard not having that social contact.

However, I can see some positives, because of not being able to train on the water I have started to find a much wider range of activities to keep me moving.

There have been lots of runs and bike rides (and a few ergs) but also more HIIT training, skipping, circuits and yoga. To keep motivated zoom group training has been good fun and been an experience! Joining a weekly Erg team competition and as a family doing the 2.6 challenge for charity has also helped. I have really enjoyed adding this variety into my training and it has helped me to deal with being stuck at home by adding a routine to my day! Lock down has some surprising benefits!

- Arwen Van der horst – Club Captain