WEARA Honours for South West Rowers
The West of England Amateur Rowing Association has bestowed its highest honour on two of its longest serving members for their commitment to the sport in the South West region. The awards have been made to Peter Atkinson (pictured left) of the Dart Totnes club and Dave Godfrey (pictured right) from the Bideford Reds.
Peter has secured his award for his 20 years of service as Registration Secretary and to mark all his dedicated and voluntary support to the sport, which also includes many years as Secretary to both the Totnes and Bridgetown Regatta and the Totnes Mini Head race events.
Peter started his rowing career at the Paignton Rowing Club in 1970 and is a schoolmaster at Torquay Community College where he has taught for the past 33 years and now joins a very small elite band of life members of the Association. He was the WEARA President for the Paignton club back in 1985 and following his transfer to Dart Totnes in 1995 became that club’s representative as the Association’s President yet again in 1997. On the water he has won many domestic West of England championships, but it is at Veteran level where he has really established himself, securing a remarkable 14 gold medals at FISA World Masters Regattas, 17 gold medals at the GB Nationals and eight golds at the Henley Veteran Regatta.
Up in North Devon, Dave has been the Press Officer of WEARA for a similar period of time and has also served the region as an umpire for many years. Still actively involved in the grass roots of the sport he has been coaching juniors at his club under the ‘Project Oarsome’ scheme and still participates at a number of veteran races in the region.
Starting his rowing career way back in 1966, he has won many West of England titles and has also served as Secretary of the Port of Bideford Regatta, as well as long periods as both Secretary and Chairman of the Bideford Reds Club.
Dave was also the project manager in the recently completed extension to the new and impressive Reds clubhouse on Bideford Quay, which was built with help and assistance from the Amateur Rowing Association.
