When we talk about ‘using your legs’, ‘pushing with your legs’, and that ‘rowing power comes from the legs, not from the upper body’, THIS is what we mean! This guy won two Olympic titles and is going for a third in an 8+.

Short week with only three days of practice. There will be no practice Friday–we will get right into loading the trailer at 5:10. This week’s boatings will reflect the Welland crews, especially Alex and Emma, who will be required to coxie.

TUESDAY

Max, Alex, Geon erg

GRIFFITHS (MADISON)
B-Rochan
2-Johnson
3-Baoze
4-Jack
5-Jerron
6-Davin
7-Quin
S-Meegan (to coach Emma)
CX-Emma

WOLTER (MADISON)
B-Katie Mac
2-Liv
3-Celina
S-Becca

ASTRA (TOM/VICTORIA)
B-Maddy D
2-Owen
3-Lachlan
S-Ethan

MILLER (TOM/VICTORIA)
B-Grace
2-Seta
3-Ryann
S-Maggie
CX-Maura

JUSTICE 2- (PETE)
B-Maddy B
S-Chloe

CHERWINSKI (TOM & VICTORIA)
B-Fiora
S-Sequoia

PROPELLER (PETE)
B-Gillian
S-Charlotte

HIGH MAINTENANCE (PETE)
Serena

Victoria will be there, with Maura and Becca as her lieutenants, for rigging this afternoon after school.

SATURDAY
========
EVENT 1: SW2-: Maddy B, Chloe
EVENT 3: JW594X: Liv, Ryann, Emma, Celina
EVENT 5: SW638+: Liam, Becca, Fiora, Sequoia, Maddy B, Gillian, Charlotte, Maggie, Kate
EVENT 9: SW4X: Serena, Chloe, Sequoia, Becca
EVENT 11: JW634+: Maddy D (cx), Ryann, Liv, Emma, Celina
EVENT 13: SW631X: A: Maggie
B: Gillian
EVENT 14: SM72.5 1X: Ethan
EVENT 15: JW2X: Grace, Seta
EVENT 16: JM664X: Baoze, Johnson, Jack, Lachlan
EVENT 17: SW4+: KATIE MAC (CX), Maddy B, Fiora, Chloe, Sequoia
EVENT 18: SM4X: Liam, Max, Alex, Geon

SUNDAY
======
EVENT 21: SW632X A) Gillian, Charlotte
B) Fiora, Sequoia
C) Becca, Maggie
EVENT 22: SM722X: Ethan, Alex
EVENT 23: JW4X: Maddy D, Seta, Grace, Ryann
EVENT N1: JMNOV8+: Emma (cx), Rochan, Jack, Jerron, Johnson, Baoze, Davin, Quin, Lachlan
EVENT 24: A) SW1X: Serena
B) Maura
EVENT 26: JM4+: Maggie (cx) Owen, Liam, Max, Geon
EVENT 27: SW594X: Kate, Liv, Celina, Becca
EVENT 29: JW4+: Alex (cx), Maddy D, Seta, Grace, Ryann
EVENT N3: A) JM NOV 4X: Baoze, Jerron, Quin, Lachlan
B) Rochan, Davin, Jack, Johnson
EVENT 30: SW2X: Serena, Chloe
EVENT 33: A) SW634+: Kate (cx) Fiora, Maddy B, Sequoia, Becca
B) Maura (cx), Emma, Liv, Celina, Maggie
EVENT 36: JM 4X: Liam, Max, Alex, Geon
EVENT 40: MIXED 4X A) Owen, Jack, Grace, Charlotte
B) Maura, Jerron, Baoze, Maddy B
EVENT 41: MIXED 8+: Maddy D (cx), Davin, Lachlan, Quin, Ethan, Kate, Gillian, Seta, Maggie
EVENT C1: MIXED COACH’S 2X: Mike, Madison

First, congratulations on yesterday. It was NOT a very good day weather-wise, but I thought we performed well. Our novices didn’t row like novices out there, and that’s to your credit with so little water time. As you can tell, regatta days are very intense and VERY busy. My step counter from yesterday had 25,647 steps on it–the equivalent of 18.8 km…..no wonder my back is sore today! Victoria, Pete and Madison likely put more steps on, given that I was stuck at the trailer for an hour. A special shout out to our crews who made finals and won some hardware—JM4+, SW638+, JM4x (GOLD MEDAL!), and the SM664x.

A special shout out to this SM664x at the end of the day. In the harsh conditions on the course yesterday, Jack Henderson lost control of one of his sculls and the handle of it whacked him in the mouth 500 metres into the race. It was a hard hit that drew a fair bit of blood. Upset and probably quite sore, Jack continued rowing and finished the race. And in one of the more poignant moments this coach has ever seen, the crew hug at the end of it with Jack in the middle, was pretty darn awesome. There are elements to this sport that fall outside of just getting in a boat and racing. Team bonding, seeing what someone will go through to not let his/her teammates down during a race, pure heart and courage, and compassion. We saw it all yesterday with those guys. You all know I tell lots of stories from my rowing experiences throughout the years. That’s one more that will be told often.

On to Welland! A different regatta venue! Parents might want to tune up their bikes, because the venue provides the opportunity to follow races down the course from start to finish! Our entries will be posted (hopefully) later today. Our goal was to try to get everybody 3 or four events each over the course of the two days. Every race you do is approximately 7 km of rowing because from your launch site to the start line, is 3.5km. So if you have 2 heats and two finals in a day, that’s 28km.

I will also begin e-mailing out the Bennett Regatta (Buffalo) invoices. That can come directly to me (not to Westdale Rowing).