Northampton Rowing Club ‘on a high’ as it celebrates 50 years

Teagan Smith’s mother Debbie coaches the juniors after taking up rowing two years ago.

“I came to rowing through my daughter and then did a learn-to-row course, and ended up doing a coaching course,” she said.

“I find my time is spent more coaching than rowing now.”

She said she enjoyed “the big crew boats” where we “look at the swans and go for a nice leisurely row”.

Club captain Andy Miller joined five years ago and quickly got hooked on “the team mentality, rowing in unison in time”.

He wished he had taken up rowing sooner, but was put off by “preconceptions of the sport as elitist”.

“I’m 6ft 4in, I’m the shape of a rower, but I thought it wasn’t for me,” he said.

“Rowing does have the connotation of an elite sport, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

He said people had “access and opportunities for a sensible fee” of about £30-36 per month, with some using the boats up to nine times a week.