Invictus is the pre-eminent Indoor Rowing team in the UK, but don’t actually get on the water as a matter of course, but Invictus Coach, who is also the Adaptive/Pararowing Coach at Maidenhead Rowing Club and a lead member of the Community Adaptive Group, Nick Steel, decided to change that and get them off the rowing machines and into the rowing boats. Sarah Melvin of Maidenhead RC wrote the following summary of the day:
On 4th May Maidenhead RC welcomed 48 guests to the club for an Invictus on the water rowing day. Attendees included 20 Invictus Games 2023 and 2025 competitors, their friends and families, Royal British Legion staff, and rowing friends (Jack Beaumont OLY, David Ambler OLY, Sophie Conbeer, Eleanor Andrews, Ella Willott, Hannah Lawton, Helen Blamey). The day started with a welcome reception over coffee and cakes, followed by introductions and a briefing before our guests took to the water for their first on the water session! This session was a huge success bettered only by the incredibly competitive scratch regatta that followed!
Maidenhead has a well-deserved reputation for its welcoming and inclusive atmosphere and yesterday was the perfect example of this. We gained new friends and supporters and from the feedback at the end of the day, new members too!
Thank you to everyone who made yesterday the success it was, including Eton Excelsior RC for rowing up two touring boats for us to use, Marlow RC for the loan of an adaptive 2x, and everyone at MHD who baked, cooked, served, rowed, went in launches, and generally kept everything running smoothly. The biggest thank you goes to Nick Steel, MHD member, adaptive rowing coach and Invictus Team UK coach, who put the event together and ran it faultlessly on the day.
The Invictus Games is an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans. It uses the power of sport to inspire recovery and support rehabilitation. An important part of this is about creating and connecting communities, which is why we were delighted to welcome them to Maidenhead RC.
