A man has proven it's never too late to try something new.
Roger Davies, from York, took up rowing at the age of 75 and went on to win a medal just before his 80th birthday.
He said: "People think you struggle to learn as you get older, but provided you can get in and out of a boat there’s nothing to stop you rowing.
"I’ve found out with rowing that you never stop learning."
Mr Davies, who won his first medal at the Small Boats Head in a mixed, coxed quad against a crew from Hull, began his rowing journey in 2020 after moving to York in 2017 and looking for a new activity.
He said: "I just happened to be walking by the river and saw these guys rowing and thought that looks like fun."
Starting with land-based sessions on a rowing machine, he progressed to joining the York City Rowing Club’s “Leisure & Progression” squad.
Though new to rowing, Mr Davies said he had some fitness experience and prior time on the water.
He said: "I kept fit, I used to run a bit, nothing serious – a couple of half marathons.
"I also did a lot of sailing, having crossed the Atlantic twice, sailed my boat from my home port of Grimsby to Holland, Germany and Belgium as well as extensive chartering all over the world."
Robin Norton, a spokesperson for York City Rowing Club, said the club’s programmes are designed to be inclusive for people of all ages.
He said: "We see rowing as an excellent tool for wellbeing in everyone and especially for York’s younger residents.
"We also believe that rowing can be a valuable exercise in levelling-up: learning new physical skills, working as a part of teams, understanding the technical side of the sport, developing resilience, meeting a wide range of new people and quite literally opening-up broad horizons on the water."
Mr Davies said he would encourage others to consider rowing, whether on water or through the club’s Go Row Indoor programme.
He said: "There are a lot of pluses to rowing – the three most important ones are it is an excellent way to keep fit, it’s given me a structure to the week (it gets me out of bed) and most importantly it’s quite nice to meet new people on or off the water."
His advice for newcomers is not to let nerves hold them back.
He said: "Most people are apprehensive about going on the water.
"Our skinny racing boats are a lot less stable than other boats.
"Once you get comfortable and progress at your own pace you can do really well."
Share