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This story is of Rees Ward's England Henley Achievement: Building on
our club of champions !!!
Rees Ward, (son of Alan Ward - PRC rower of the 1970's) joined Petone
Rowing Club as a active Novice in 1992, moved to England in 2004 as
part of his OE experience. While in England Rees has continued to row.
Here is the story of his Henley success in July 2006.
From
Rees Ward:
I had put my life "on hold" and spent the last two years rowing
and training pretty hard-out here in London having not rowed for 3/4
years after 2001 due to a back injury. But my injury came right (touch
wood) and I resumed my rowing career when I moved to England over two
years ago. This year was my last serious attempt at winning at Henley
Royal Regatta ("HRR") before I should probably grow up, get
a real job/ get a haircut etc and I have trained tremendously hard (although
I do say so myself) all year. Hell, I even live AT the London Rowing
Club here in Putney still .... literally!!
HRR is the most prestigious rowing regatta in the world and I had dreamt
of winning at Henley on many occasions. To win an HRR medal has always
been the dream for most rowers as it is the most amazing of the rowing
events in my opinion.
Our rowing season started well with some great results and then English
winter sort of emptied any love of rowing out of me.
I trialled for the GB Team out of the blue back in January and the freezing
English winter but in the final trial managed to somehow fall out of
my single into the freezing minus 5 water on the only corner in Boston
whilst racing and so kharma dictated that that obviously wasn't meant
to be. I spent a month in NZ and raced at NZ Rowing Champs in February
but coming from UK Winter couldn't get used to the NZ summer and just
generally raced superbly badly in my single but still really enjoyed
being back home. A week in Japan up in the mountains on the way back
was a welcome break and then back to London and training. I was fastest
bowsider in seat racing at Training Camp in Seville this year and in
the early season, I was in the top four at London which sadly had a
lot of problems and was racing far below its potential speed. So, less
than three weeks out from HRR starting, our Head Coach completely restructured
our squad from having no eights to having four eights to enter the Thames
Cup and I suddenly found myself 'Five man' of London's top Eight to
race for the Thames Challenge Cup (which was instituted for eight-oars
in 1868, and attracted entries from home and overseas crews of "club",
rather than "Grand", standard) at HRR.
Last week, after four days of knock out racing, on Sunday 2 July, we
attached onto the starting line at Henley in the Final against a red
hot Tideway Scullers crew. The week had 30 degree sunny days and Sunday
was no exception. Hot but lovely conditions. No one in my eight had
ever made it to "Henley Sunday" before so being in a Final
had all sorts of pressures, stresses, complications and emotions brimming
over for us. I don't remember much about the start as it all went so
quickly as soon as the Umpire dropped the flag. We had an alright start
but everyone was very tense, naturally. By the end of the island, it
was neck and neck as both crews pushed at different stages in the race.
But by Fawley, our rhythym and power - despite us rating two strokes
per minute less than our oppo - had allowed us to pull ahead slightly.
I understood what it must have been like for our opposition at this
stage as I had been knocked out on Henley Saturday by the winning crew
last year in 2005 - Henley Rowing Club. By about three quarters of the
way down the track I was seeing stars and rowing out of time I was so
sore but luckily the cheering of the crowds gives you just that extra
bit of oomph to push on, especially if somehow your crew gets their
nose in front. As we came past Remenham Club we had a boat length lead
and the cheering was so loud that I could not hear a thing, even the
coxswain's instructions etc as he tried to shout above the 'Remenham
roar'. An extra four speakers in our boat on top of the standard two,
didn't help him either. As we wound through Steward's Enclosures we
managed to push it out to a length and a half win and coming across
the finish line was simply the best rowing feeling I've ever had.
Hilariously, as we came across the finish line a bowside oar floated
past me as our bowman (the lightest rower out of everyone competing
in Henley Sunday Finals) caught a crab on the finish, lost the oar and
luckily our coxswain fished it out as it floated past him. You can see
it on the video link (I'm five seat by the way), if you are interested:
http://www.rowtv.org/hensun/hrr261_17.asx
Hundreds of people greeted us as we came off the water and it was just
awesome. The dream had come true. It was all over. I can now retire
from rowing a happy man if I so desire. The President of the IOC presented
us with our medals up in the Grandstand at the Prizegiving an hour later
and, of course, the Thames Challenge Cup itself. The partying and celebrations
had begun and has been going all week and will continue. We have yet
another Crew dinner tonight which I now hope won't be as debaucherous
as the last seven nights of celebration as I'm completely knackered!
Just a quick 'thank you' to everyone who has helped me whilst I've been
rowing in London etc (you know who you are), and of course back home
in NZ, and those of you who came down to Henley and cheer us on last
week or who sent messages of support etc etc. Sorry I didn't reply at
the time, I just had too many. Now that my rowing season is over, I
will be around lots more/ have more of a life and so really hope to
catch up with those of you who I have neglected to see whilst I've been
rowing so full on these last couple of years!!!
Now
I have to sit down and plan the rest of my English summer and some new
adventures NOT involving rowing!!
Please
do all keep in touch, my email address is reesward@gmail.com
http://ablitt.smugmug.com/gallery/1614050/1/79074699
http://www.eliotgeorge.com/events.php?path=rowing/Henley%20Royal%20Regatta%202006/Sunday/Thames&img=henley4246.jpg
http://www.bigblade.net/rowing/events/2006/hrr06/sunday/displayimage.pl?src=races&im=8250&offset=1
Video footage from Henley Sunday - double click "17 Thames Cup":
http://www.rowtv.org/hensun.htm
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