STRATFORD Boat Club’s adaptive squad competed in its first event of the season on Sunday.
Stratford is one of the ‘Big Five 5’ adaptive clubs which dominate the scene in the south of England and all but one of these clubs attended the time trial rowed over part of the Henley Royal Regatta course.
The five squad rowers from Stratford were Jake Blatcher, Dan Godefroy, Hattie Throssell, Ian Ward and Mark Sanders. A couple of athletes, due to their disability, require experienced club volunteers to row with them and for Dan and Jake it was their first competitive event.
Jake won the prize for best junior men’s performance of the day. Mark missed out on the men’s adult prize by 0.1 of a second to a Marlow sculler and the other athletes all produced times that bode well for this summer’s regatta season.
The adaptive squad was revived at Stratford Boat Club in 2015 and since then the squad has grown steadily.
“We have athletes with a variety of disabilities and some just require a little extra support,” said the club’s adaptive coach Mark Dewdney.
“Safety is always paramount. We can deal with most issues but not all. The emphasis is on participation and enjoyment but it always great to get a win at these events.”
The squad’s next competition will be at Marlow on May Bank Holiday Monday.
Visit www.stratford-rowing.co.uk/contact for more details.
