Photo Credit: Harry Coe
A few weeks ago, JRN had the privilege of attending the official launch event for Infinity Boat Club (BC), based on the banks of the Tees in the North East. Having also recently been shortlisted for Club of the Year at the 2024 British Rowing Awards, this community rowing project is on a mission to create a lasting and profound impact on the lives of young people across the Teesside area.
Since opening its doors in 2022, Infinity BC has introduced rowing to five thousand local schoolchildren, 160 of whom now train multiple times a week and compete at events as prestigious as the National Schools’ Regatta and the British Indoor Rowing Championships.
When I reflect on the impact that rowing has had on my life, I find it nothing short of profound, and I bet I’m not the only person to feel this way. The benefits of participating in any sport are widely discussed and well-documented, yet rowing is unparalleled in giving us so many transferable skills to navigate our ever-changing and challenging world. It is hard to fully express how grateful I am to rowing for all the skills and experiences it has provided me over the years, so it was a pleasure to catch a glimpse of this same impact being felt by the members of Infinity BC at their official launch event.
Infinity BC is clearly a true labour of love, as demonstrated throughout the event. You could barely move for people of all ages soaking up the atmosphere. It was electric.
The agenda for the evening included a night time row complete with snazzy LED outfits, ergo demonstrations, food and drinks, an athlete Q&A, and a sit-down discussion with Paris 2024 gold medallists Georgina Brayshaw and Gregg Stevenson, hosted by Sir Matthew Pinsent. Talk about a jam-packed evening! Hearing about the impact rowing has had and will continue to have on Georgina and Gregg’s lives was truly inspiring. If the kids needed any more proof of the transformative power of rowing, they would have been hard-pressed to find it. But the real stars of the show were the athletes, proudly sporting their blue and green Infinity BC merch. Their Q&A session was the evening’s highlight, as we heard first-hand about their love for the sport, their club, and one another.
Infinity’s impact is already evident, and the pride they take in their club is a testament to everyone involved in the project. It’s not just the athletes who love the club, parents and teachers were also present, offering nothing but glowing reviews. One teacher said, “It has given children who didn’t believe in themselves a chance to walk taller and feel part of something truly special. Someone has taught them something; they’ve seen that with time and practice, they’ve gotten better. Then, like a switch flicking, they understand how that improvement carries over into every aspect of their lives.”
I had the privilege of spending a few moments with Stephen Peel, Chair of the Board of Trustees, and Kevin Brown, CEO. It was inspiring to gain insight into their passions, motivations, and dreams for the project. I asked Stephen, “Of all the things to set up, why a boat club?” His response was simple: he wanted to “dream big.” Big dreams lead to big impacts, and Kevin echoed Stephen’s passion.
Providing young people with the opportunity to lay the foundations for their futures is their main goal. They aim to teach kids that there is no limit to what they can achieve if they work hard and take full advantage of the opportunities presented to them. With plans to take on eighty more children next year, they have no intention of slowing down anytime soon.
So, watch this space, Infinity Boat Club is here to stay. They’re just getting started, and their bank-side cheer is only going to get louder.
More information on Infinity Boat Club can be found here.
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