A lockdown solution to a popular rowing regatta, which attracted the likes of many enthusiastic and competitive clubs, with thoughts from Mac Ellis. 

The Bewl Regatta is an annual competition that takes place by Bewl Water in the Kent and Sussex countryside every March. An event that brings plenty of rowing clubs together for an event that shouldn’t be missed. However due to lockdown restrictions the regatta was unable to take place and for the 2nd time in 2 years the event was held as an ergatta (a virtual regatta where athletes competed on rowing machines; ergs). Globe Rowing Club was part of the 51 clubs that attended the event and their members helped count for the 638 athletes that participated.   

The second draft of the event, in which Globe secured many victories, was held on the 22nd of February and erg scores were to be handed in by the end of the day. The bulk of the athletes took part in a 5k race, one of strength and endurance. Each athletes’ score was able to be entered in a single, double, quad or all three. Globe won gold in the j14 and wj14 doubles heads along with the j15 and j17 quad races. A spectacular turnout for a club whose junior athletes had shown dedication by training 5 times a week all throughout the lockdown.  

The Bewl Ergatta itself was a great show of lockdown innovation as many clubs were suffering due to the lack of competition within clubs. The Bewl ergatta gave all these clubs the opportunity to show off their erg skills to the rest of the competitors. It was a great way of bringing rowing clubs together again and creating a sense of solidarity against Coronavirus and lockdown boredom as many athletes were given the motivation to train hard once again. By hosting the event online all athletes were able to stay at home and enjoy the cheering of family members and flatmates next to them as they rowed.  

Mac Ellis, a junior rower at Globe Rowing Club who was in the winning j17 quad, shared his thoughts and strategies on being an effective rower at home and the keys to success on an erg. He said that “I listen to good song pre-race; it gets me motivated and focused”. For an athlete it’s extremely important to remain focused and music is a great way of drowning out unhelpful thoughts and sounds, keeping your head in the game. “Before a race I also have an isotonic energy gel to give me a boost” which greatly helps an athlete kick off their race with a burst of power. A 5k race is quite tough for any athlete but Mac told me that “I keep consistent, I settle into a good rate and I feel I need to finish it”. A good tactic Mac uses to push forward is “I break it down, I set it up in individual 1ks as 5 1ks goes quicker than a whole 5k”. “I struggle around the 3k mark, but I push through”. Mac’s attitude to rower is superb as these long-distance races really test one's endurance and willingness to push themselves. “My body wants to collapse but I keep going”. Mac sees that “The final 1k is good motivation as when I watch the triple digits, I push harder to get it down to 0” 

They key to Mac’s success is that “I wanted to be in the quad, I trained hard over lockdown to get to where I am now”. He feels that “Being in a quad with my teammates is a good feeling”. Whether it’s at home or on the water, the team spirit can obviously be seen as a manifestation of one's desire to win for their club. Also, “I feel good for the Club, it's nice to see Globe winning”. The team spirit within Globe is tremendous as an individual win is not seen solely as a personal one but a victory for the club.