Find out about Sasha’s love for rowing
Hi, I’m Sasha, I’m 19 and I’m from London (though support Ireland in the Six Nations!)
My first taste of rowing was during optional indoor sessions at school when I was in Year 8. I fell in love with the sport. I had never been very coordinated but I was strong so I found that using a rowing machine was perfect for me as strength is really helpful! I found I was quite good, thanks to that strength, and at that point I was taller than average for girls my age.
I loved rowing training too, as it is fabulous exercise and really effective for your whole body. It can be as intense or as casual as you want it to be, but regardless, every stroke uses 85% of the muscles in your body, making it a great way to keep fit. Weekly training for rowers typically includes some sessions in a boat on a river or lake, some work in a gym to build strength, and some sessions on an indoor rowing machine to build fitness and technique. This combination makes it an exciting sport to be part of, and I found the variety meant I got bored less quickly than with other sports.
When rowing was offered as an option for full-time training in Year 9, I jumped at the opportunity! I loved that first year and a half of racing; it was so much fun being in a crew boat with lots of my friends, and being able to race in Head races (time trials) as well as Regattas in the summer (side-by-side knockouts like you see in the Olympics). I was even lucky enough to compete for my school at Eton Dorney, where the London 2012 rowing and kayaking were held.
I found rowing more challenging as I got older. I’m now 19, and have been the same height since I was 14, which means I was a tall 14-year-old, but am still 5ft3” (162cm) now! Rowers, if you were to look at those in the Olympics, are usually over 6ft tall, as well as very strong - I began to struggle to keep my scores on the rowing machine and in the gym in line with those girls in the squad who had grown, and height is one of those things that you cannot alter! Unfortunately, with this I fell out of love with rowing, still loving using the rowing machine and weights in my free time but finding it increasingly challenging to be part of the elite squad at that club.
Fast forward three years - I kept active in my own way and completed school but I was still feeling as though I wanted to get back into a team and community sport that I loved.
On my gap year, I’ve been lucky enough to get back into rowing and coxing for a club in London, which have brought me immense amounts of joy and brought back the love of rowing that I had originally. For anyone who doesn’t know, coxes are the (usually small!) people who steer, control and manage bigger rowing boats when they are out on the water. They can be crucial in races and have an important role in ensuring the boat and rowers are safe. I’ve loved being part of the sport culture again in a way that suits me and my body type, as well as being able to row in my spare time without the pressures of having to perform at the same level as people a whole foot taller than me!
I’ve found club rowing really friendly and relaxed. Of course, if you are training hard to win big events such as Henley Royal Regatta, there will be compromises on your time at home or work and social life. However, for those who just want to experience a gorgeous sunset on the river, get fit, or try a new sport that they’ve never done before, I would 100% recommend rowing as a low-impact way of getting exercise, whether on an indoor rowing machine or at a club.
Rowing also has a reputation for being an elitist sport and, while there are some aspects of it that can be, the rowing community is deeply encouraging, and I’ve found that almost every club will have adult or teen Learn-to-Row or Learn-to-Cox courses, either free or for a small cost. Many clubs will also offer free taster sessions, and if you are bitten by the rowing bug and want to join, they may have discounted student or junior memberships to ensure as many people as possible are financially able to enjoy the sport. Similarly, most gyms have indoor rowing machines which can be accessed by anyone using the space if you feel indoor rowing may be the best for you.
I love rowing, and have enjoyed it since the moment I first sat on a rowing machine. So, whether indoor rowing or rowing on the water is the right thing for you, I would wholeheartedly encourage you to try it out. I also hope my story serves as a reminder that if you aren’t enjoying something, it is always worth changing the time or place before giving it up completely - school rowing was not for me, but club rowing definitely is! I am now really looking forward to trying it again as part of my university next year 😊
Good luck, and enjoy whatever sport you try!
Sasha 😊
Find out more about getting involved in rowing:
Go Row Indoor 20-minute workout (a guided, 20-minute, indoor workout video that teaches you the basics of a rowing stroke)
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