RGS rowers have raised over £1,150 for Worcester charity, The Myriad Centre, by taking part in the 2.6 Challenge – a home-based charity fundraiser to replace the London Marathon scheduled for 26 April.
Head of Rowing, Mrs Jane Sullivan, took to her rowing machine at home to row 26km, while the rowers undertook a range of 2.6 Challenges based on running, cycling, rowing and body circuits.
“Rowing 26km on the rowing machine really pushed me – it’s a long way,” says Mrs Sullivan. “The row took two hours and five minutes which was well within my predicted time and I was pleased to have completed it, although my back was complaining for several days afterwards!”
Over the last week, the rowers have completed their own challenges at home and have rowed, cycled and run over 500,000 metres between them. “It was great to see the enthusiasm for this challenge from our rowers,” says Mrs Sullivan. “It has been a tough season with the flooding and then school closure but we are trying to keep the rowing spirit going with regular team meetings, and training tips via the CoachNow app.”
The Myriad Centre in Worcester provides daycare provision for young adults with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD) as they make the transition from school to adulthood. Activities include swimming, hydrotherapy, music therapy, day trips and a Saturday club for teenagers.
Myriad Centre trustee, Carol Bawden, said: “This is an amazing feat of fundraising and comes as a huge (and wonderfully unexpected!) boost to our charity at a very challenging time.
“Our profoundly disabled young people have now been isolated at home for nearly six weeks, many for the first time since early childhood. They are missing their friends and Myriad ‘family’ and of course not necessarily receiving the physical and cognitive interventions they need to keep them physically well and happy.
“The majority of our clients are in wheelchairs and require significant support, and their round-the-clock care is, therefore, significant responsibility for families. This wonderful donation will enable us to continue to provide support for these families, during this difficult time, as well helping us to ensure that the charity remains financially viable for when we can re-open. Thank you so much to everyone for their support.”
During her 26km row Mrs Sullivan took to Twitter wearing rowing kit from 10 different rowing clubs, with followers invited to ‘Guess the Kit’ (answers below). Some well-known names from the world of rowing also sent messages of support including GB rowers Vicky Thornley, Karen Bennett, and Sir Matthew Pinsent.
Rowing kit quiz answers – RGS Worcester Boat Club; City of Cambridge Rowing Club; Evesham Rowing Club; Edinburgh University Boat Club; Harvard University; Putney Town Rowing Club; Stratford-upon-Avon Boat Club; Worcester Rowing Club; England Home International vest; Reading University Boat Club. Congratulations to Mr J. Crump who was our highest scorer on Twitter with 9/10.