Schools Case Studies
Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club's 24hr World Record Row
Date Added: Thu, 20 Jan 2011
Related tags: Key Stage 4, Key Stage 3, Charity, Event Ideas
A team of ten pupils at Monmouth Comprehensive School Junior Rowing Club, in South Wales, clocked up a staggering 215 miles without ever laying eyes on water. The team, whose members are all under 17, worked in six hour shifts with five minute intensive rowing bouts followed by a 20 minute rest.
Now their 24 hour charitable exploits on a school Concept 2 Indoor Rowing machine has for verified by the Guinness Book of Records. The marathon event in March raised cash for the Boat Club and more than £6,000 for the Charitable Trust set up by five times Olympic gold medalist, Steve Redgrave.
Anna Woodman, 17, Boat Club Captain and a school sixth-former, organised the event which took place at the school's campus leisure centre. She is a keen rower and sculler on the River Wye at Monmouth with several successful wins in the last few seasons.
"The team was made up of a mixture of girls and boys who are all under 17. We had always intended setting a 24 hour junior world record because nobody had ever done it before - there are only adult ones."
"The team of 10 split into two separate groups working for six-hour shifts. We had support from parents and school governors throughout the night; it was a fantastic 24 hours. The first five members, all using one Indoor Rowing machine, began at 7.30pm on Friday and continued until 1.30am on Saturday."
Anna continues the story:
"A fresh shift then came in and the pattern continued through to the climax before a packed leisure centre on Saturday evening. By then they had clocked up 346,697 metres, equating to 215 miles, at the end of months of organisation and exhausting training. Another 135 people throughout the day used other rowing machines to help boost cash raised and ensure a secondary 1.2 million metre rowing target was set."
Those taking part were also able to see their progress on a big screen projection and simultaneously compare themselves to people on other machines. Data for the junior record was monitored by at least eight independent observers who all signed off the attempt at the end of the day.
The whole day would not have been possible without the support of Monmouth Leisure Centre, Concept 2 uk, Parents of MCSBC members, Teachers and Governors of MCS, David Davies AM/MP, Monmouth Rowing Club, Waitrose, Alchemy Wealth Management Ltd, Simone's Health Club, Fitzone, Monmouth Lads Club, Singleton Court, Ross Rowing Club, MCS Sixth Form Officials and last but not least all of the MCSBC members and coaches; Mr. Eddolls and Mr. Cowton. All proceeds are going to the Sir Steve Redgrave Trust which aims to improve and enhance the quality of young people's lives, particularly in relation to medical, social, educational and economic needs within the UK.
The School's Boat Club web site is www.mcsbc.co.uk
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