TR I ED & TESTED
All in the same boat FRANCES MCNAUGHTON TAKES TO THE RIVER TO TRY THE RECENTLY LAUNCHED CAMBRIDGE ROWING EXPERIENCE ON THE CAM
to practise and refine your stroke in the club’s bespoke gym, working on technique, timing and how to effectively implement power. Whether you’re a natural, or the least coordinated person to ever enter the gym, Omar will put you at ease, and give plenty of helpful pointers to guide you. Once everyone has reached a stage where they feel comfortable, it’s time to take to the river. Initially, you’ll help carry the eight-man vessel out of the boathouse and slowly lower it onto the water. Then, you’ll each do a run-through of basic manoeuvres in the boat while stationary, including learning how to ‘take the catch’, and how to stop the boat. After all that, you get into the real thick of it. To say that rowing will come naturally to anyone and everyone who tries it would be a lie. The technique can be tricky to get right at first, and taking in so much information may be overwhelming. But when it clicks and you get the thrill of powering through the water, you’ll remember exactly why you signed up in the first place. Omar’s guidance ensures everyone in the boat gets involved, and once the realisation sets in that you’re getting the hang of it, you get a huge sense of accomplishment.
f you’ve ever thought about taking up rowing, you’ll know that it’s a difficult sport to get into. Typically an expensive and often exclusive endeavour, it’s not as simple as bopping on down to the nearest body of water and setting yourself away. This can be extremely off-putting when it comes to trying out a new pastime. But in Cambridge, thankfully, we’re in luck. There are more opportunities to get into rowing here than practically anywhere else in the UK, and the Cambridge Rowing Experience is making it easier than ever for us mere mortals to take to the river. The idea for the Cambridge Rowing Experience came when founder, Omar Terywall, first got into rowing, and noted how difficult it was to start out as a total novice. He devised a scheme giving complete beginners the chance to get out and row, with follow- up sessions available to those wanting further progress. The first weekly get-togethers took place just over a year ago, and the rest is history. The sessions are tailored to suit individual skill levels, so if you’ve never rowed before, don’t worry! When first arriving at the City of Cambridge
OARSOME DAY OUT The Cambridge Rowing Experience is making it easy for complete beginners to try the sport – practise your stroke on dry land before jumping in a boat and rowing for real
YOU GET A HUGE SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT
Even if you decide it’s not for you after the first session, it’s well worth getting out there and giving it a go to tick it off the Cambridge bucket list. And who knows, maybe you’ll surprise yourself ! Find out more about the Cambridge Rowing Experience at rowingincambridge.co.uk
Rowing Club, down on the banks of the River Cam, you’ll easily be able to identify fellow rowers by how they’re stood: slightly disorientated and confused, potentially with a glimmer of fear in their eyes, and no doubt managing to get in the way of any hardcore rowers in the vicinity. The
instant kinship you feel will come in handy later on, when boarding the boat with what would otherwise have been a bunch of strangers – plus Omar as coxswain at the helm, of course. First up, Omar takes you through the basics. As a team, you’ll head upstairs
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