
Marlow RC welcomed the Royal Dolphins for a Yuletide joint squad workout featuring a number of “adaptive challenges” that is becoming a holiday tradition at Marlow. The festive session underscored the fun and other benefits to diversify your workout with different clubs joining together and different exercises.
Different Exercises. Last Christmas, Marlow RC used its last training session before a break for the holidays to try a number of rowing machine approaches that left out certain parts of the body, including:
- Fixed Seat With Back (PR1) – no legs or back
- Fixed Seat Without Back (PR2) – no legs
- Arms Free (strap attached to handle and padded-back) – no arms
- “VI Challenge” (blindfolded including a short obstacle course to be led through by a support partner) – no vision
The different formats were both fun and challenging with coaches and supporters joining the athletes to try the various set ups. Everyone got a first-hand appreciation of rowing with certain constraints as well as some muscle group isolation.
Different Clubs. Royal Dolphins RC row out of the Docklands rowing centre and works with London Youth Rowing to provide opportunities for getting on the water and participating in the sport. It is one of the largest adaptive clubs in the UK. Growing their participation and activity, they reached out to Marlow to compare notes and build community. Coaches Cheryl Brown, Tony McKeown and Jemma Wright had earlier visited a Marlow adaptive/para training session to observe how the club approached the sport. Then, they followed up with a squad visit of 6 athletes, 3 coaches a several supporters coming over to Marlow for a joint session. The new athletes introduced the coaches and athletes from both clubs to an even broader set of impairments and approaches. Strong connections and friendships were started which they plan to lead to further collaboration and joint sessions. Cheryl commented about the day:
- “Marlow RC was the perfect club to choose to take the wonderful Dolphins to broaden their experience of adaptive rowing. Having learnt to row at Marlow RC I knew the facilities they have to offer and the warm welcome we would receive would be much appreciated by the Dolphins. We are all looking forward to working together again in the new year. Together we are stronger.”
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