The search is on for a female PR3 rower ahead of 2017 World Championships
The GB Rowing Team Paralympic coaches are looking for a female LTA rower to race at the 2017 World Championships in Sarasota, Florida
The LTA mixed four win gold at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Simon Way)
With the 2017 World Rowing Championships heading Stateside this September, British Rowing has a unique opportunity for a female rower to become part of a gold medal-winning crew in the hunt for further success in Florida.
Following the retirement of double Paralympic champion Pam Relph, the PR3 (formerly LTA) mixed coxed four is looking for a female bowsider to join the crew ahead of the World Championships and help extend Great Britain’s winning run in the event.
The PR3 classification encompasses a range of impairments, including limited range of motion in an ankle or wrist, Erb’s Palsy, or visual impairment, some of which can be treated in childhood and can result in the person not considering themselves as having an impairment or disability.
Paralympic lead coach Tom Dyson is encouraging females with impairments to come forward for testing to possibly win a place in the World Championships boat.
“We’re quite confident that if we find the right person we can work with them to deliver some really successful results. This is a real opportunity for someone to step into this four, which hasn’t lost in six years, and work with some really talented crewmates to continue that success,” he said.
Dyson is keen to point out that applicants do not necessarily need to have rowed before, but must have the right physical and mental attributes to develop into a world-class rower.
“This is a real opportunity for someone to step into this four, which hasn’t lost in six years”
“The sort of person we’re looking for is someone who is out and about in the outdoors anyway. They’ve been involved in something because they want to be physically active. They don’t have to have performed at a high level in the sport before, but they’re at least used to spending their weekends being active and challenging themselves physically.”
“We’re always looking across the board for anyone who is talented and would be competitive in any of the classifications. The four is where the immediate opportunity jumps out, and is the boat where we’re most used to developing people from scratch,” Dyson said.
“We’ve done it a number of times now, most recently with Grace Clough in the PR3 four and Lauren Rowles in the PR2 double sculls. It’s a proven system, if people have the physical talent, a driven mentality, the right disability and the get-up-and-go for it.”
For more information about Para-rowing and signing up for testing, email [email protected] or visit bit.ly/1TM9sCo
If you think someone in your club would be eligible, download these posters and leaflets to help get the message out there.
