I began renting an Erg from ISS late last year as a means of trying to lose weight and build a little fitness (At nearly 18st and 5'9" I was 5 stone overweight). However, owing to building work at home I was only able to fully "launch" my craft in January this year.

In a moment of madness I decided to enter the 2012 BIRC (in the 45-49 Hwt category) as a means of keeping myself focused, with the simple aim of not coming last. However when I rowed my first 2k at home and achieved 8:18 (nearly killing myself in the process) I concluded I had set myself an unrealistic challenge, and having already announced my intentions to friends and family, I realised I had to come up with a plan to avoid humiliation (feigning injury was considered!!).

In some desperation I turned to a Concept2 Master Instructor, Tim Male for help. Tim gave me some very constructive advice on technique and provided me a bespoke training programme (which included a significant amount of rowing without straps, something that took some getting used to!). I now felt I had some direction and that I wasn't facing the challenge alone, and with a couple more sessions for technique and programme refinement, I ploughed on with my preparation.

I thought that to have any chance of avoiding last place I would need to be below 7:45 and the programme from Tim was designed to deliver this. However with hard work and ongoing support and professional advice, I was able to raise the target and was hopeful of an even better time.

Despite all the work in those six weeks and the encouragement of Tim and his raising the targets in my training programme, I was stunned and absolutely delighted when on the day I managed 7:24.0, a full 56 seconds better than I achieved only 6 weeks earlier!!

Interestingly, I have lost all interest in losing weight as weight loss is now a side effect of training and reasonably healthy eating. Since beginning to row I haven't once weighed myself, but I do know that I feel and look a whole lot better and can wear clothes that previously I wouldn't have dared take off the hangar.

Having had a week off I'm now keen to begin training for the next competition (which one I don't know) and to see how much further I can improve my times.

Dom Kelly

Note. Subsequent to the 2012 BIRC, Tim Male was elected to the British IRC Hall of Fame. A much deserved achievement, if only for having the patience to train a complete novice such as myself.