Rowing is open to all at Worcester Rowing Club

Worcester Rowing Club has recently received a generous award from The Rowing Foundation for £2,000 towards a lightweight single sculling boat and oars to support both blind and junior rowing. 

Blind rower Susannah Barnett took up the sport less than two years ago and has been keen to row and compete in a single scull. She is helped by the club’s captain Dom O’Loghlin and the junior girls who steer her by radio link from another single scull. Susannah is now competing regularly and although she won her first doubles event this summer at Hereford regatta with Dom, she is very keen to gain a win in her new single.

The club’s Juniors Coordinator, Peter Powell says, “everyone who comes into contact with Susannah is impressed with her incredible determination and she is already inspiring blind rowers from other clubs to compete”. So much so that our juniors got behind the fundraising and not only added to the fund to enable the purchase of this boat but have, with another grant from Sport England, purchased a safety catamaran to further support both blind rowing and junior squad development. 

Brenda and Colin Kinnear, trustees of the Worcester based Bransford Trust were also impressed by Susannah and generously donated £1,500 towards her boat and are following her progress with interest.

Susannah is seen in the image trying out her new single whilst being radio-steered by Worcester junior Alexandra Hawkins.