‘On yer… ergo!’ for 24 hours
Stratford upon Avon BC members kept their ergos spinning through the night last weekend Friday to raise money for Club funds to cover new equipment, repairs, maintenance and new projects
SUABC juniors refuel while other members and supporters take to the ergos
The club’s ‘ergothon’ started at 5pm on Friday, 27 September, and ran through to 50m on Saturday, 28 September 2024. Seventy seven club members and supporters filled over 100 slots, with great support from Stratford’s junior athletes as well as their parents.
Esme Booth’s Homecoming at SuABC on 1 September 2024: A forest of blades to salute her achievement!
Imogen North, J17/18 Coach, Vice Captain for the Senior squad and 24hr Ergothon Organiser said, “We are hoping to raise over £2.5K for Club funds but we won’t have the final total for a while until all the pledges are in. A big thanks to all who rowed, raised and pledged money, and also to those who helped especially with energy giving cakes and snacks. In total we rowed 972,112 metres, which is 604.05 miles or 23 marathons! In terms of our aim to row the distance from the Club to the Olympic 2024 rowing venue and back (804 miles), we made it to the Olympic Rowing Regatta course in Paris and then halfway back across the Channel! This is a great effort and couldn’t have been achieved without the huge number of individuals who took part.”
The focus on the 2024 Olympic venue is particularly meaningful as Stratford is the home club of Esme Booth, who won the silver medal in the Women’s coxless four at the Olympic Games this summer. Back in 2011 when Esme started rowing at Stratford, she benefitted from the legacy of investment by club members fundraising for increased and improved equipment and facilities, culminating in the total refurbishment of the club in 2016 with an added gym and enhanced Club Room. Commenting on the Ergothon efforts, Esme said, “I applaud the recent fundraising efforts by my fellow Stratford Club members and know that future generations of rowers will benefit as I did from others’ hard work and achieve the highest standards in competitive and recreational rowing!”
