Winning the 55-59 Age Group
Saturday, December 7th marked an unforgettable milestone in my rowing journey. Competing at the prestigious British Rowing Indoor Championships (BRIC) at the NEC in Birmingham, I not only tested my mettle against some of the finest indoor rowers in the country but also emerged victorious in the 55-59 age group category.
The Build-Up
The day began with a 6:30am alarm, the race scheduled for 9:15am. I awoke in my hotel room just across the way from the NEC, nerves already kicking in despite having raced at this event many times before. This year felt different, though. I had been off training for two weeks in mid-November with a streaming cold, and it wasn’t the ideal build-up to such a big race.
Morning nerves!
After a very small breakfast, lots of water, and a double espresso, I headed off to warm up. But things nearly went awry—I was hanging around in the wrong area and almost missed the race entirely! Thankfully, my trusty companion found me just in time and marched me over to the starting area.
The Race
The race started well, but by 300 meters, I could feel the impact of my interrupted training. My mid-race pace was slightly off from what I had been holding in training. The first 500m split was 1:37, which placed me in 3rd, but I struggled through the middle part of the race with splits of 1:39/1:40. In training, I had been consistently holding 1:37/1:38, so I knew I had to reassess my plan.
At the halfway mark, I slipped to 4th place, and entering the final 500m, I was still in 4th, 1.5 seconds off third and over 4 seconds off the leader. I decided to go all-in for a bronze medal and began to push hard. With 200m to go, I managed to overhaul 3rd place and kept driving to see if I could close the gap to silver.
The final 500m
The final 100m was a blur of determination. I passed into second place and, with the very last stroke, sneaked past the leader to win the gold by just 0.2 seconds in 6:31.3. The final margin was razor-thin —1.3 seconds ahead of bronze and 1.6 seconds ahead of 4th. I didn’t know I had won until I looked up at the screen. That was a wonderful, unforgettable moment.
Figuring out where I finished at the end of the race!
Reflections and Gratitude
Huge credit to the other competitors, who raced hard and with incredible grit. It was a truly exciting race, and everyone who entered has my utmost respect. To put yourself through that kind of effort in your mid-to-late fifties takes some serious determination. And then there are the rowers who continue to smash out 2k races well into their seventies and beyond—some even competing in age groups up to 89! These athletes are nothing short of inspirational, and I have the greatest admiration for each and every one of them.
The British Rowing Indoor Championships is a fantastic event, showcasing the best of our sport and celebrating athletes of all ages and abilities. Winning gold in the 55-59 category this year is something I will treasure forever.
I write this now with yet another cold—damn winter! But the satisfaction of that race day moment is keeping my spirits high. Here’s to more challenges, more victories, and more opportunities to test ourselves against the clock and each other.
Proud moment surrounded by two fine tough competitors
RESULTS