Kenya Adaptive Rowing
The aims and objectives of this ID camp were as follows:
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To identify athletes with the potential to qualify a Paralympic boat for Kenya to participate in the Beijing Games 2008. (Kenya would be the first country from Africa to attempt to qualify for Paralympic Rowing, which addresses some of the universality issues within the sport).
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To ensure that a basic high-performance programme be in place to include coaching structure, equipment, nutrition etc. with support by the end of the camp.
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Subject to the above, make a new application to the IPC for funding to enable identified athletes and coach to attend a pre-Paralympic training camp at London Regatta Centre prior to the qualifying regatta in Munich 2008.
This initiative was funded by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the International Rowing Federation (FISA). Simon Goodey was nominated by FISA to lead this camp with the objectives set out above.
“I arrived at the Tudor Water Sports Centre in Mombasa with 35 kg’s of excess luggage which included postural support seats, restraints, fixed track for boats and my much travelled tool kit!. With temperatures in Mombasa at 30 deg + it was a refreshing change to wet & windy docklands.
The first day of the workshop focused on classification to ensure that athletes who presented were eligible to compete in adaptive competition. Athletes attended from the Bumbe Boat Club in Busia, which for 2 children who attended involved a 1000km bus journey! Both Maria Kimani (a senior sports officer at the Ministry of Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services) and I made the experience as fun as we could for these children. Other athletes attended from Mombasa & Nairobi.
Over the course of the weekend, we classified all the athletes and carried out some performance profiling. I then went on to interview all the athletes, coaches to gauge their level of commitment and barriers to participation. Much was accomplished by the end of this camp, including the identification of three Mombasa based athletes who would form part of a Parlympic development squad for Kenya. It is hoped that with a further funding grant from IPC and FISA that we will see 2 of these athletes and their coach at London Regatta Centre in April 2008 for a pre-Paralympic qualifying regatta training camp”.
Simon Goodey
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London Youth Rowing is a joint initiative with London Youth and the Royal Albert Dock Trust, with major sponsorship from The Man Group plc. Charity nos 303324 & 1010519
© London Youth Rowing 2007 | |
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