Adaptive rowers part of year-to-go Super Saturday show

Paralympic 2012 hopefuls from the GB Rowing Team joined a host of other GB athletes and celebrities at Sainsbury’s Super Saturday in London today to mark a year to go to the Games. 

The mass event on Clapham Common saw music stars perform in support of GB’s sporting prospects for next summer and featured ‘have a go’ zones for rowing, equestrian and cycling and demonstrations of goal ball among others to help promote the release of tickets for the 2012 Paralympics in London. 

Visitors to the rowing stand met  2011 World Champion Pam Relph from the adaptive mixed coxed four which won gold in Bled, Slovenia, last week and Kelsie Gibson who won silver in the same boat last year, before chart-toppers such as Olly Murs and The Wanted entertained the crowds from the main stage.

 

The GB Rowing Team’s lead coach for its adaptive programme Tom Dyson and talent i.d. officer Helen Blamey gave coaching tips as sports fans young and old were put through their paces on a 100m or 250m ergo test on the rowing stand – racing against each other or the clock.

 

Dyson said: “It has been great to get it out to a wider audience and that (Paralympic sport) has been showcased in two big London locations (following the International Paralympic Day celebrations in Trafalgar Square on Thursday).”

 

“Hopefully it will get the message out about tickets and get people coming to watch our rowers perform when it matters.” 

 

Gibson said: “Today has been really cool. People have been really enthusiastic and I feel quite proud.”  

 

2011 World finalist in the adaptive mixed double scull, Samantha Scowen, was also talking to the crowd at the family event and was part of a celebrity relay-race between boxing gold medallist from Beijing James DeGale, former 110m hurdler Tony Jarrett, badminton star Gail Emms and Paralympic hopefuls for table tennis Will Bayley, Scowen from the GB Rowing Team and Kevin Hayes from the wheelchair basketball team.

 

The musicians, who also included The Saturdays and Will Young, mixed in with the GB stars backstage before performing at the event to raises awareness for next year’s Games.    

 

Rowing takes place on August 31st and September 1st and 2nd, 2012, at Eton-Dorney. Tickets are priced at £5 and £10 and application details can be found at www.tickets.london2102.com