The 2016 Rio Olympics are just around the corner.

As the attention of the sporting world focuses on those games, here at home the 2016 BC Summer Games have wrapped up and we are here to tell you about the rowers that represented Zone 1 at the BC Games.

Four individuals under the age of 17, from differing sport disciplines, decided in May to try this sport new to them.

You met them recently, after a regatta in Calgary. From a coach’s perspective, for rowers who have taken their first strokes with an oar just over 83 days ago, this crew represented themselves and Zone 1 to the best of their ability.

They rowed personal best race times and scored their best on the skills testing. The rowers come away from this competition with knowledge, expertise and relationships they did not have before.

In the lead up to the games the rowers were given opportunities: racing in regattas to know what floating starts are and to know how officials call races, practicing the list of skills given by Rowing BC so they were prepared for the skills testing that took place on Sunday of the Games, the chance to go to Creston and row on a river so they understand flow patterns and how rivers are different than lakes for rowing.

These rowers dug deep in their beings to take on this challenge placed before them. Not everyone wants to wake up at 5 a.m. to be on the water by 6 a.m. Not everyone wants to get soaking wet because rowing in the rain means calm water. No one wants to wrap their knuckles on a day the water is choppy. Not everyone is willing to put themselves out there by taking on a new sport months before the competition. Not everyone likes the tipsy nature of the rowing boat and the possibility of going for a dip.

These rowers overcame those things and it resulted in the exceptional opportunity the BC Summer Games has to offer. The rowers saw the results of others with two or more years of experience rowing and what that meant to outcomes.

If you are interested in, competing at the 2018 BC Summer Games and you are born in 2002 or later (you need to be strong enough to carry a rowing boat to the water and you need to know how to swim), Rockies Rowing Club welcomes you to learn to row this season and train over the next two years then try out for the Zone 1 Rowing Team, please contact 250-489-0174 or [email protected]  or 250-278-2278 or [email protected].

We will keep it fun and challenging. Adults interested in learning to row can make the same contact.

Lead image: Representing Zone 1 Rowing, Roberta R (Coach), Jared A (Rockies RC), Caisey C (Rockies RC), Rosie V (Nelson RC), Tomi S (Rockies RC), Kurt M (Coach).  Please note: The author has been requested by parents not to use last names with photos.

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