New Council Reps

We are pleased to welcome the following new regional representatives to the British Rowing Council: Laura Lion and Andrew Blit.  Their terms of office on Council run from 1st January 2014 to 31st December 2016.

Laura Lion

Laura started her rowing life at Upper Thames RC, before moving to her current club, Maidenhead RC, when she was 16 years old.

Laura has enjoyed success at competitions nationally and internationally, as a Junior and as a Lightweight Senior. She started coaching juniors in 2000 and joined the Thames Regional Rowing Council in 2007 as the Thames Upriver Junior Representative.

With this came a place on the Junior Commission (now the Junior Rowing Committee) and the role of Team selector for Thames Upriver Inter-regional Regatta. Having looked after the regions’ Juniors for six years, Laura welcomes the opportunity to widen her horizons and represent the TU-3 clubs and regattas of the Thames region on the Council of British Rowing.

Andrew Blit

Andrew took up rowing at school in London in 1972 and subsequently competed both at college and club but since 1996 has been based in Sudbury. Having spent a number of years ‘masquerading as a senior rower’, Andrew has more recently been seen racing at Masters events around the country and is part of the pair that holds the current Masters E 2- record for the Great Ouse Marathon. 

Andrew has been Vice Captain, Captain and Chairman of Sudbury RC and has coached a number of successful crews over the years. He has also been involved in the running of Sudbury International Regatta as Entries Secretary, Race Committee Chair and Commentator, helping to maintain the event’s status as one of the country’s premier traditional market town regattas.

Having qualified as an Umpire in 2008 Andrew has thrown himself into the role and assists both regionally and nationally, experiencing the atmosphere at events as diverse as Lea Spring, Blenheim Palace, Peterborough Summer and National Schools Regattas.

He is looking forward to taking up his new role in January as one of the Eastern Region’s three representatives on the national Council. 

You can find details of your Club’s regional contacts here.