Having recently moved up to the Tayside area from down south, I decided to return to rowing after 6 years off the water as a way to meet new people locally and stay fit.
I was nervous, having not touched a blade for a while, but thankfully rowing can be a bit like riding a bike. You never quite forget! However what I’ve found in Tay RC is so much more than an opportunity to get out on the river…
From my first time down the club, the coaches and members have all been so welcoming and made me feel right at home. Here is a club where everyone is really invested in its future; getting involved in the big plans the club has for racing, building a new clubhouse and developing its junior rowing programme.
The club is a good mix of experienced rowers and those who have come through the Tay’s own Learn 2 Row course. This brings a nice range of experience, from those experiencing the excitement of their first ever race to those who might not have felt the buzz of race day since university, with a good number of senior crew thrown in to keep us all level.
Its great to see the club turn its attention to racing this year, with coaches Lucy and Heather putting a real focus on getting crews together and out to events – nothing quite beats the thrill of a race and I for one am looking forwards to sharing more of that with my fellow members.
Off the water, the club is also developing a junior rowing programme to offer school kids in the area an opportunity to try rowing before getting out on the water. As the mother of a future Team GB Rower (well, I can dream…) I’ve been grateful to be able to get involved with the programme and help coaches take our beloved sport out to the young folk. There’s nothing quite like seeing their enthusiasm and excitement when it all starts to click.
Back at the club, the President and Vice President, Chris and Barbara have grand designs on a state of the art clubhouse that will really put Tay RC on the map and take advantage of all the Tay river has to offer. It really is a cracking river to row on, wide and fast, with our own resident seal who acts as the club’s de facto mascot. The opportunity for the future of Tay RC as a centre of excellence for rowing in Scotland is huge.
I feel like I’ve joined the club at such an exciting time – there’s a real buzz about the place as the members really do have ownership of Tay RC in a way that’s sometimes lost in bigger, more established rowing clubs. There is a lot of space for people to really get involved in helping their club reach its goals if that appeals – and equally, if folks just want to come down and row – there’s plenty of room for that too.
Tay RC: you come for the rowing, you stay for the club.
Photo credits: Graham Robb Photos