Get Going, Get Rowing North East Regional Schools Indoor Rowing Final

Sports keen youngsters will be put through their paces at the
inaugural Get Going, Get Rowing North
East Regional Schools Indoor Rowing Final to be held at Maiden Castle,
Durham University on 2^nd March, 2010.

The event is a result of a newly formed partnership that has
been established between SUNEE (Sport Universities North East England),
Competition Managers, British Rowing, Concept 2, Tony Blair Sports Foundation
and North East Strategic Health Authority.

Rob Cree, British Rowing Coaching Team Leader for the North East is
extremely pleased with these new developments in the sport: “British
Rowing are keen to support school based indoor rowing programmes and the indoor
racing that comes out of these programmes. In the North East, we are developing
a great hierarchy of competitions based within Schools, School Sport Partnerships,
Counties and the North East Region itself, in co-operation with all partners.”

Clare Harding, Senior Competition Manager for County Durham, responsible
for co-ordinating the event said:” It is a really exciting time in the
evolution of this competitive structure in the North East Region. Our young people
have thoroughly enjoyed competing for their counties and are now keen to
demonstrate their talents at this next level. With a strong partnership having
formed between the key partners we can ensure that this event is both
sustainable and continues to grow over the coming years to involve as many of
our schools and their students as possible.”

Since September
2009, competitions organised by the Competition Managers and British Rowing
have been held across the four North East Counties (County Durham,
Northumberland, Tees Valley and Tyne & Wear) each providing the chance for
some of the region’s top young rowers and those new to the sport, to post
their best times of the year. The top 4 young people from each age
category have now all qualified to attend and compete against the best across
the North East Region at this first ever Get Going, Get Rowing North East
Regional Schools Final.

The participants will compete for different periods of time
depending on their age; however a Gold Medal Target has been set so youngsters
can compare themselves against others based on their percentage of their Gold
Medal Target.

James Kessell, 17, from Yarm School was the overall winner
in the Tees Valley Final, completing 2000 metres in 6minutes 26 seconds to
finish with an impressive 108.61% of his Gold Medal Target.

James, who has rowed for Wales at both junior and senior
level said: “It could be the start of something good because once people get
involved and get their first taste of winning they want to carry on, and even
if you lose you know if you keep training you can win.

“That’s the brilliant thing about rowing; it is a sport
where you get out what you put in. You don’t necessarily have to be that talented, just be
willing to work hard.”

Report from Clare Harding

 

An Northern Echo article about this event can be found online now