Peterborough City Rowing Club are delivering sessions for Camsight members, an organisation that supports people with low vision and blindness.

The sessions launched in March and ran through until the end of October. Each session ran for 4 hours from 10am till 2pm, involving indoor rowing followed by sessions on the water. The sessions have been very well received by the Camsight members. The main barriers to the sessions were transportation, however with Love Rowing’s funding, Camsight involved a community transport service with no further issues.

The sessions are coach intensive and to ensure a safe session, Peterborough Rowing Club ensures there is a coach for every rower. This allows the rowers to get to know their coach and particularly to recognise their voice so they can follow the instructions throughout the sessions. Each of the rowers have improved and can now row in a single stable boat, with guidance from the bank by their coaches.

The sessions have been paused for the winter. Sessions will resume in March.

Here is a wonderful quote from one of the participants, Mary:

“I just wanted to give some feedback about the rowing experience and how much l am enjoying the opportunity.

Being visually impaired, I always have something to lean upon, like a reminder of what I am loosing. Be it my long canes, my adaptive equipment, using passenger assistance and needing to rely on strangers to point me in the right direction for the shops or the correct bus stops.

Today, being on the water, alone in the rowing boat with the oars in hand, is totally exhilarating, free and exciting. The lack of sight is not an obstacle to taking part in a sport l thought l would never get the opportunity to try.

I am completely uncoordinated and gave the buoyancy a thorough test on more than one occasion. Lol

I would like to say thank you to Love Rowing and Camsight, who have made this opportunity possible and the Peterborough Rowing Club. Kate Lindgren is an inspiration and the whole team of volunteers are very patient with each one of us.

One day l will get the rhythm and then master my left from my right Once again thank you for another brilliant day”.