Teachers at Walworth Special School are seeking to build on the inspirational experience of winning the Concept2 indoor rowing event at the launch of The Tony Blair Sports Foundation.

Teams from Walworth, one of four local schools from the Sedgefield Schools Sport Partnership involved in the Foundation’s Champions Challenge, won both the trophies on offer at Newton Aycliffe Leisure centre.

The overall winners, who covered 1140 metres in a six minute relay, were managed by Olympic athlete Steve Cram. Brendan Foster, organiser of the Great North Run, oversaw the other Walworth team, which won the most improved team award

The launch featured 49 Pupils in mixed teams of boys and girls. They raced twice in a relay format which involved lots of fun and team work, with pupils changing every 30 seconds.

None of the children had rowed before, yet every team managed to improve their result in the second race. This gave the children a great sense of achievement.

Tracy Day, a teacher at Walworth School, commented: "For our children, it was a fantastic experience. It was the first time they had ever won anything as a team. You could see that meant a lot to them.

"As teachers, this gives us something to build on. The team element of indoor rowing, especially in the way the children have to organise themselves at the changeovers, is something we will stress as we progress through the Foundation programme."

Tony Blair, who oversaw the second placed team from Sugar Hill Primary School, was also inspired by the children's commitment and impressed by how much they enjoyed themselves.

"Let no one tell you that our young people are not competitive" he said. "The drive and determination the children showed during the indoor rowing competition tells us everything we need to know about the power of sport."

Event organiser, triple world rowing champion Tom Kay, added: "This gives us, at Concept2, the perfect springboard for the Champions Challenge programme. Indoor rowing has the potential to make a real impact in schools across the North East."

Race Results

Race 1

1st	Walworth Special School	1033
2nd	Cleves Cross Primary School	997
3rd	Cleves Cross Primary School	967
4th	Sugar Hill Primary School	964
5th	Sugar Hill Primary School	947
6th	Tudhoe Primary School	946
7th	Tudhoe Colliery Primary School	924
8th	Walworth Special School	845

Race 2

1st	Walworth Special School	1140
2nd	Sugar Hill Primary School	1113
3rd	Sugar Hill Primary School	1055
4th	Cleves Cross Primary School	1041
4th	Cleves Cross Primary School	1041
6th	Tudhoe Primary School	1032
7th	Tudhoe Colliery Primary School	1022
8th	Walworth Special School	1020