Adaptive Rowing
Previous Board member and RCR athlete, Taylor Roberts, speaks on introducing adaptive racing to the Dad Vail Regatta, the largest collegiate rowing event in the United States. Taylor was the first adaptive rower to compete in the Dad Vail Regatta in 2018.
Location
Duration
Spring Program:
Join us at the VBC/VCU boathouse for our spring rowing season! Our first day is April 22, 2024. Practices are once a week on Mondays, except for May 27, due to Memorial Day. The last day of the season will be June 3, 2024. Parking is available near 4708 E Old Main St, and elevator access is available in the front of the building.
Commitment
Mondays 6:00pm - 8:00pm (attendance is not required)
Experience
No previous experience is required
Fees
All sign up and registration is done through our partner, Sportable.
For our Adaptive Program we have teamed up with Sportable, the only adaptive sports club in Central Virginia and one of the top Paralympic sport clubs in the country. Together we have been able to facilitate rowing for over 30 para athletes, at both the recreational and collegiate levels.
Equipment
Safety is our top priority, for all of our athletes, and we are dedicated to providing our athletes with the best equipment we can get our hands on. All of our adaptive athletes have the option of taking out wide-shell singles or doubles. Each boat is equipped with pontoons and can be rigged with stationary seats or sliding seats, catering to the unique needs of each athlete. While our adaptive athletes are completely stable in our rowing shells, we have life jackets available for those who are wary of being on the water.
Collegiate Adaptive
RCR has teamed up with the University of Richmond Crew Team and VCU Crew Teams to offer collegiate adaptive rowing. Some of our athletes have gone on to compete at the national level and have introduced adaptive rowing to some of the most prestigious races in the country.
Cole Sydnor (UR Crew Team): We worked with the University of Richmond to put Cole on the water as the first adaptive rowing member of the UR Crew Team. He was officially the first ever PR1 rower to race at the collegiate level when he competed at the Rocketts Landing Collegiate Regatta in April of 2017. Cole was then invited to the National Invitational Rowing Championships in Worcester, MA where he represented the UR Crew Team at the National level in May of 2017.
“I had an excellent time in my first rowing sessions. Moving myself fast enough to feel the wind on my face is something I rarely get to do - and with the peacefulness of the river in the evening, I truly felt like I was flying!”
— Leila
FAQs
Do I need to know how to swim?
Nope! Our adaptive athletes are not required to have to know how to swim. We have wide-shell singles equipped with pontoons (floatation devices) for athletes rowing on their own. Multi-person boats are much more stable. For our athletes who aren’t completely comfortable with being around water, we have life jackets available to be worn during practice.
What should I wear to practice?
For our adaptive athletes with full range of lower body motion, clothes that are breathable but tight fitting are the best for rowing. The seats inside a rowing shell (and the seat on the erg) are on a sliding track, where baggy clothes easily get caught on. For our trunk and arms athletes, dress to your comfort. You will have stationary seats and don’t have to worry about your clothes getting caught.
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