19 SEPTEMBER 2014 MOST IMPROVED ROWERS

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1 R U NCORN ROWING C LUB A N N UAL A WA RDS EVENING 19 SEPTEMBER 2014 Thank you to Vivien Shaw for organizing tonight s event. Thank you to Anne Hignell for organising the raffle. Thank you to Paula McNulty for printing the certificates. A warm welcome to you all in this the 120 th year of Runcorn Rowing Club. There are many new faces and this reflects a rapidly growing club with 53 new members in the first 4 months since the AGM alone! There was a waiting list for tonight s event so we will have to think about finding a larger venue for next year. The annual awards evening is the opportunity for the club to recognise significant achievements or contributions to the club which are new over the season or which have been consistently exceptional and have gone unrecognised until now. I would like to thank all those who submitted nominations. It is also traditional to recognise juniors who are leaving RRC to pursue their higher education studies. The categories and order of play are Most Improved Rowers Outstanding Rowing Achievements Outstanding Service to the Club Leavers Silverware Chairman s Award awarded by the Chairman Crab of the year awarded by last year s holder. MOST IMPROVED ROWERS There are so many worthy candidates I have decided to pick one from each squad. This is not simply about technical improvement. It is also about personal development including working with others, dealing with personal challenges and overcoming barriers. I will read the citations first (in alphabetical order) and then I would like all of you to come forward to receive your certificates and a small gift. The most improved rowers this year are... Steve Castling (men s sweep) Beginning as a novice and with the support of his coach Brian he has made the transition from the Development Squad into the Men s Squad and has become a competent and confident sweep rower in all classes of sweep boats. Lexie Gardiner (women s sweep) Beginning as a novice with no competitive experience she has gained two rowing points this year and competed in a pair. Mark Pattie (adaptive rowing) Beginning with zero experience and many challenges to overcome he has improved every time he has gone out and has, over the year, become confident and largely independent on the water. What is more, he has shown a passion and focus for rowing and improving akin to that of Sir Steve Redgrave. 1

2 Nigel Hayes (men s sculling) Beginning with a virus single, his commitment to learn how to scull in a racing single has been huge and achieved largely independently. He has developed a powerful style and now regularly rows in a single to Pickering Locks and back. Alison Stock (women s sculling) From being a beginner, she has become a confident sculler in all classes of boat. The clincher for me was her willingness to steer a quad at Ross on Wye, a difficult course, with no previous steering experience, and to find lastminute substitutes for her crew, two having dropped out due to illness. Laura Stock-Caldwell (junior girls) Rowing mainly with the adult women she has applied her considerable knowledge of the technical aspects of rowing to support the adult women. She has developed a confident style in working with adults well beyond her young age. Dan Swift (junior boys) His fitness, endurance and technique have improved considerably over the year but the clincher for me is his personal development: he has become self-confident and is always willing to work with and support others; his recent election by his peers as junior boy s Captain bears testament to this. There are several other names I could mention but one I wish to highlight is Caroline Robinson who has made the transition from being a Sunday morning social rower to competing regularly in a quad. OUTSTANDING ROWING ACHIEVEMENTS The criteria are: Selection for the England or GB squads Winner in a major event Medallist at a national rowing championship Medallist at a national indoor rowing championship. I will also be recognising >1 gains in rowing/sculling points. I will read the citations first and then I would like all of you to come forward to receive your certificates and a small gift. Kevin Dudley Gold in the J15 English Indoor Rowing Championships, Gold in the J15 British Indoor Rowing Championships. Val Edwards First in the WMasC 2x at the Pairs Head, first in the WMasD 4x in the Veteran Fours Head, first in the WMasD 1x at the Vesta Scullers Head, 3xBronze in the WMasC 2x, WMasD 2x & WMasC 4x & Gold in the WMasD 8+ at the British Rowing Masters Championships. Amy Embleton Gained 2 rowing points this year. Kate Embleton Gained 2 rowing points this year. Lexie Gardiner Gained 2 rowing and 1 sculling points this year. Henry Harte First in the J18 2x at the Pairs Head. Ellie Hayes First in the Mixed J18 4x at the National Schools Head of the River. 2

3 Kat Hunt Gained 1 rowing and 1 sculling points this year. Matthew Kilborn First in the Mixed J18 4x at the National Schools Head of the River. Paul Massey Gained 1 rowing and 2 sculling points this year. Holly McMullen Bronze in the WJ18 1x at the National Schools Regatta (a very close final), First (the Di Ellis Cup) in the WJ18 1x at Henley Women s Regatta, Gold in the WJ18 1x at the National Championships, selected to represent England in the Home Countries Junior Championships and won 2xGold in the WJ 1x & WJ 8+. George Perrin First in the MasE 2x at the Pairs Head, Silver in the Men s Hwt English Indoor Rowing championships, 2xGold in the MasF 4x and MasF 2x & Bronze in the MasF 1x at the British Rowing Masters championships. Sam Pettinger-Harte First in the Mixed J18 4x at the National Schools Head of the River. Sue Sljivic Gold in the WMasD 8+ at the British Rowing Masters Championships. Dave Street First in the MasE 2x at the Pairs Head. Graham Sunners Bronze in the MasE 1x at the British Rowing Masters Championships. Gaël Tavernier 2xBronze in the WMasC 2x & WMasC 4x at the British Rowing Masters Championships. Mention George Houghton who was a finalist at the National Schools Regatta and selected to represent the NW region in the 2x, and John Kervin, Eric Bennett, Kevin Reynolds & Henry Morgan who were finalists at the British Rowing Masters Championships. OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE CLUB Awarded to members who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to serve the club and/or to promote rowing in the wider community. As noted at the beginning, the emphasis is to recognise significant contributions which are new this year or which have been consistently exceptional and have gone unrecognised until now. Volunteering helps us to keep our fees low and to invest in the club s future; you are the life blood of the club. I would like to thank all of you who have played a part. I will read the citations first and then I would like all of you to come forward to receive your certificates and a small gift. Emily Burkey for supporting the Schools programme as a cox, rower, helping with getting boats onto and off the water and with coaching. She is a safe pair of hands and always cheerful. Linda Butterworth for significantly improving the organisation and promotion of our events and thereby achieving record entry levels last year, and for continuing to promote our club in local news media and (most notably over the year) in the Rowing and Regatta Magazine and the yearly Rowing Almanacs and thereby achieving recognition for the club at national level. 3

4 Andy Greenwell for liaising with Canal and River Trust and contractors during the Sutton Swing Bridge works, for stripping and painting the roofs of the workshop and store, for regularly cutting the grass, for repairing the launch trailers and supplying and fitting safety winches, for clearing trees and shrubbery and for serving the club over many years with a masterly attention to detail in his role as Chair of the Race Committee. Aidan Hunt for developing better ways of repairing boats, acquiring (at no cost) tools and equipment for the club, for clearing trees and shrubbery and for refitting the workshop and repairing boats. Julie Jones for her commitment to and support of the Adaptive Rowing programme and for weekly corralling members of the Women s Squad so that weekend crews can be pre-planned and supported. Simon Leach for maintaining the club s website and constitution, for being on hand to respond to callouts, for hunting for boat bargains and having a wealth of detailed knowledge about boats to enable the club to make sound investment decisions, for sourcing boat parts, for refitting the workshop and repairing boats, for serving the club over many years as Events Secretary or (in recent years) as coach / supporter to our Events Secretaries and for processing entries and results when he would much rather retire. Faye Stewart for her commitment to and support of the Adaptive Rowing programme and for enthusiastically supporting the Women s Squad by encouraging beginners to progress, organising and running the winter training programme and for on-the-water coaching. Faye is also working towards her Level 2 coaching qualification. Kevin Reynolds for taking on and leading the coaching of the Junior C squad at a vital time for the club, for his commitment to this squad throughout the year and for his ability to work supportively and sympathetically with young people of a wide range of abilities. I would like to mention Paul Massey for supporting the Junior A/B boy s squad throughout the year, particularly for his enthusiasm and commitment to the boys and their coach, Dave Street for developing the sculling arm of the men s squad by running the (new for the club) winter night rowing sessions, and for helping to develop adult sculling competitors with one-to-one coaching, Paul Swift for taking on the brunt of organising the recent Sutton Fields car boot sale on behalf of Runcorn Rowing Club (with no previous experience!) and making a superb success of it, thereby raising a record amount to support the club s ambitions. LEAVERS Kat Hunt Manchester University. Pharmacy. Catherine Castling Lancaster University. Spanish and IT. Leanne Knight Liverpool University. Liam Street Salford University. Graphic Design. George Whiston Working at Siemens in Manchester. Lexie Gardiner Liverpool University. Philosophy. 4

5 SILVERWARE Rower of the year (The Vernon Cup) Holly McMullen. Holly is the outstanding candidate for rower of the year. She has worked hard over the year, training most days of the week, whilst maintaining a balance with school work and home life. The WJ18 1x final at the National Schools Regatta was closely fought right up to the line, the first three places being separated by under a second. There was no stopping her after that and she won the Di Ellis cup at Henley Women s Regatta (only the second time this cup has come to Runcorn Rowing Club) and a total of three gold medals at the National Championships and the Home Countries Championships. Coach of the year (The Clifton Cup) Kevin Reynolds. Kevin is the outstanding candidate for coach of the year. He has coached a large and varied squad both in age and ability. I think there are two factors which stand out for me. The first was his willingness to take on a very challenging and vital role at, as noted earlier, a critical time for the club. I know he thought carefully before taking on the job because he knew that it would not be easy. Having done so, he has given it his full and unbridled commitment. The second is the way he has developed as a coach. He has developed a supportive and sympathetic style whilst having an attention to detail which ensures that the children can progress in a safe and supported environment. His success can be measured by the number of children, boys and girls, who have over the year graduated into the Junior B squads at younger ages than they normally would. Clubman of the year (The Brian Lewis Award) Simon Leach. The Brian Lewis Award for Clubman of the year is the club s top award and it is awarded for outstanding service to the club. There are several strong candidates this year. I have consulted and thought carefully. In the end though, Simon stands out for his loyal service to the club over many years and for his continued support to the club in so many ways which are critical to the successful running and future of the club. He has, over the years, done all the big jobs in the club and shows no sign of stopping his involvement although he has fairly recently gracefully retired from actually rowing. CHAIRMAN S AWARD Presented by Anne Hignell. Anne has nominated John Griffiths for service to the club. CRAB OF THE YEAR Presented by Dave Street. Dave has nominated Paul Massey, Liam Furlong, Sarah Furlong & Sarah O Brian for the incident at the 2013 Boston Marathon. 5