TARN ROWING CLUB IS OARSOME!
Last updated 22:26, Sunday, 06 April 2008
STEVE REDGRAVE slumped back in his boat after winning gold at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and then delivered that never to be forgotten line: “I hereby give permission to anybody who catches me in a boat again to shoot me.”
Four months later he was back on the water and four years after that he went on to win his fifth Olympic gold at the age of 38.
Rowing veteran Mike Dodd, 63, understands. He has been a member at Cumbria’s Talkin Tarn Rowing Club for more than 50 years. He is the club chairman and also a qualified coach.
“It’s fuelled by the feeling of competition,” he says. “It can be a very serene sport but it’s anything but serene when you’re heading for the line. You’re giving it your all and your lungs feel as though they’re about to burst.
“I recently heard rowing described as the second hardest sport in the world behind cycling. It’s a very hard sport and it exercises every muscle in the body.
“People think it’s all about having strong arms but every time you thrust fully forward you’re using one movement and the pressure goes on your legs; it’s more about legs than arms. It’s a great all-round workout.”
Rowing uses many muscles in the arms, legs, abdomen, and torso. Your heart and lungs get as good a workout from rowing as running and it also builds muscular strength and endurance.
“The thing I really enjoy though is the feeling of being on your own,” added Mike. “It’s just you versus your opponent and the water. It’s hard to describe if you haven’t experienced it but there’s a real sense of freedom in floating on water.
“I don’t race much anymore though. I get my main satisfaction from coaching and seeing youngsters improve. It’s always nice to give something back because rowing has given me so much over the years.
“We’re negotiating with Carlisle City Council and searching for sponsors for a proposed new boathouse because we’ve outgrown the one we’ve got at the minute.”Mike says the Tarn club, which celebrates its 150th anniversary next year, are unusual because they are based in a remote location and have to rely on long-time members passing on the hobby to their children in order to survive.
However, it certainly hasn’t halted their amazing success.
They recorded 108 wins last year – a new club record – and their unbelievable haul included nine medals at the English and Scottish Indoor Rowing Championships and a bronze medal at the British National Rowing Championship.
Club captain Graeme Mark has been a member of the club for more than 30 years. He has also been club captain for the last 18 years. He is a qualified coach and was handed the Best Junior Coach Award by the Northern Rowing Council in 2005.
Ray Mark and Jimmy Harrison have been members since the turn of the war. They are both still active committee members. Ray was club secretary for 36 years and Jimmy received the Special Award for Services to Sport at the Cumbria Sports Awards in 2004.
So how would Mike persuade anyone who is considering taking up the sport?
“It’s a brilliant sport and it’s particularly good for kids because it keeps them off the streets and gives them something to do,” he says. “There’s a great camaraderie between everyone at the club and new members always settle in really quickly.
“Don’t just think about it, come and give it a try.”
