Ten years ago, Marlow Rowing Club set out to create the most accessible boat club in the UK. It opened our doors to see who walked/rolled in. At the outset, it was just one athlete, Ben Marsden (now one of their assistant coaches), and Bruce Lynn coaching. Over time, word got out and both more athletes and more support found its way to the club.
Too many people I have spoken with are fearful that actively welcoming individuals with disabilities would overwhelm their resources. But in reality, the individuals come in gradually and are very adaptable themselves if things aren’t fully accessible for them.
British Rowing commissioned this video to illustrate to what can be done and how (it has lots of support to offer on the ‘how’) and to showcase how much the club itself can benefit from taking a more open approach to Adaptive/Pararowing.
