A visit to the yacht mole in Durban’s Small Craft Basin can be exciting.
This is the home of the dynamic and go-ahead Durban Rowing Club, founded in 1874. Over the years this club, one of the oldest institutions in the province, if not South Africa, has been cherished and kept active by its dedicated members.
Hilary Abraham, the club’s full-time resident coach, is not just enthusiastic about rowing – she is passionate about it. She herself has reached and exceeded world-class standards in the sport.
A few weeks ago she represented the club (and therefore South Africa) at the World Masters Rowing Regatta in Varese, Italy.
In this prestigious meeting she added to her already illustrious collection of awards by achieving gold medals in three events, the Women’s Quadruple Sculls (D age-group), the Single Scull (E age-group), in which she set a new world record of 4:04.12 for the 1 000 metres in her age-group, and the Women’s Quadruple Sculls (E age-group).
Abraham is modest about her brilliant international achievements and had to be persuaded to haul out her host of medals for a photograph. She would much rather talk about the Durban Rowing Club.
At the moment the club has 50 active members whose ages range from 12 years to 88 years.
The club vigorously tackles the task of training new members to row through its popular “Learn to Row” programme. This course includes six lessons and costs R250.
“Once you have decided that rowing is for you, only then are you asked to become a fully paid up member.
New members are first taught the rudiments of rowing in the club’s gymnasium, which is well equipped with rowing machines and many other pieces of apparatus which members use for strengthening the body and warming up before sallying out on the water.
An important part of the club’s activities is its junior section.
Here, pupils from the age of 12 and older can learn this fascinating sport.
Another intriguing aspect of Abraham’s work is the training of people with disabilities, in which she has considerable experience.
Rowing can be a perfect sport for those with many different kinds of physical disability. As long as the recruit is physically fit and active, there is no reason why he or she cannot be taught to row.
Abraham said that the club intended to expand this branch of its activities thanks to a forthcoming grant.
Rowing is a sport which is good both for body and mind. Learning to work as a team in boats with four to eight rowers is a richly rewarding experience.
Those who are more individualistic by nature can advance to single sculls as Abraham did.
For more information on any aspect of the Durban Rowing Club’s activities, you can call the Durban Rowing Club Captain Sven Kraunsoe at 082 905 2533, or e-mail him at kraunsoe@hotmail.com