The Community Adaptive Group (CAG) was started in 2018 by several of the clubs leading the emerging adaptive rowing activity in the UK, eg. City of Oxford, Guildford, Maidenhead, Marlow, Stratford-upon-Avon. Since its inception, it has been heroically chaired by Stratford coach Mark Dewdney who stepped down this past year. Now the CAG is delighted to announce the appointment of its new chair, Paralympic Champion Ellen Buttrick:
- How did you get involved with rowing?
I started rowing at Leeds Rowing Club, aged 17. My earliest rowing memory is being in a 1x and attached to a rope. We were each pushed out to the open water to get a feel for sitting in a boat and if we liked it. The next week we began the process of learning to row. I was hooked from that first session and went on to train with Northumbria University Boat Club and Tyne Amateur Rowing Club whilst studying for my undergraduate degree. In 2017, I attended a Talent ID day at the Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake for the Para Team and was offered a place in the development squad. From there I joined the Performance squad in 2018 and was part of the team until 2024, winning gold medals at multiple international events including the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in the PR3 Mixed Coxed Four. Post international career, I joined Marlow Rowing Club senior women’s squad and got to race a Henley Women’s Regatta, Henley Royal Regatta and Head of the Charles for the first time, which was very special. I am currently US-based, whilst I am studying for a Masters at Syracuse University and I am excited to join a local rowing club in the Spring. - What are some of the other rowing organisations that you work with?
I have been a Trustee for Love Roowing since 2021. Our charity creates rowing programmes for people who are under-represented in the sport: young people in state schools, disabled people, ethnically diverse communities and lower socio-economic communities. We help rowing clubs become more inclusive and open to all, and we raise awareness of equality, inclusion and diversity across the sport. This year we will fund our 100th project which is an exciting milestone for the charity. I am also proud to be an ambassador for Henley Women’s Regatta and International Mixed Ability Sport. Last year, I was funded by the Churchill Fellowship to learn about the principles of Mixed Ability sport internationally and find ways to implement them for rowing in the UK. I am excited to continue this work in 2026. - How do you think the adaptive community and British Rowing can work best together?
I think is is important to recognise that adaptive rowing strengthens the entire sport. Inclusive practices, mixed ability environments, and accessible facilities benefit everyone who rows. In my opinion, the best way to support rowers and to grow the sport is for adaptive rowers to be involved in decision-making. It is key for our perspectives to be heard when shaping policy, developing coaches and when deciding the direction of the sport. British Rowing has made real progress in the last decade, and I’m excited to build on that momentum. This means continuing to resource adaptive rowing well, ensuring that clubs have equipment, that coaches have the confidence and knowledge, and that athletes have opportunities to participate in all levels of the sport. I see CAG as central to making this relationship work. My aim is to share grassroots adaptive rowers’ experiences with BR leadership while also helping rowers understand what support is already available. I want to create channels where we can tell BR what’s working and what needs attention, and just as importantly, to strengthen connections within our adaptive community so we’re learning from each other.