BoatShed Bulletin TORRENS ROWING CLUB Volume 6 Issue 5 September2004 www.torrensrowingclub.com Special points of Welcome Home Sally and Amber interest: by Anne Lippis · Members’ night I attended the Welcome to the parade. every Thursday Home parade for the Ath- It was sensational to hear ens Olympians in the city them singing so beauti- last Friday and I felt very fully and so happy that they humbled by the ceremony were going to see our · Committee news that was put on by the Olympians. on back page State Government and the When you think about it, Adelaide City Council. It we are such a sports mad was absolutely the best and nation and our Olympians made me feel just so proud are absolute heroes to to know Sally Newmarch. young Australians. Sally Newmarch To see and listen to so We at Torrens Rowing many thousands of children Club should feel very Inside this issue: so excited and cheering honoured to actually be represent Australia at the was a real buzz. a small part of Sally's Olympics. I was walking towards Olympic career. It was fantastic to see Sally Captain’s Report 2 Victoria Square and there I know Sally may be disap- and Amber race on the was a small group of school pointed that she didn't biggest world stage of all children from Sudan who medal at Athens, but we and do so well. were singing our national are so proud of her. Most Congratulations SARA Calendar 6 anthem as they were walk- of us can't even contem- Sally. You are ing along the footpath to go plate the sacrifices made to my hero too. From The Club 7 Secretary 2004 Club Fees Club invoices have been Due to our loan repay- 2004/2005 is to continue re- posted to you. Once again ment schedule with the bank furbishing the Clubrooms there is no increase and our boatshed at West and purchase a new boat as well in Club fees for Lakes, it is really important as keep up the constant mainte- 2004 /2005. that all members who intend nance of our existing fleet. to renew their membership must do so by 30th Septem- Any member who has any ber 2004. difficulty in paying mem- Club fees bership fees please con- are $250 + This will enable us to pre- tact Anne Lippis to make a pare a business plan for the f inancial arrangement GST. following year. Our aim in with progress payments. Page 2 BoatShed Bulletin Captain’s Report Roly Dankbaar It’s not hard to draw inspira- it’s the team aspect that makes Sally and tion from the recent Olympics, Why wouldn’t it fun. with rowers who made our you make the There are 1,000 reasons not to sport look so easy, as well as exercise. Too cold, too busy, Amber. all the other brilliant athletes, most of your Tor- too tired, too hot, not enough Congratulations who performed with such pas- time, and so on. But the fact of sion. If only I could row like rens member- the matter is that you can al- on a that! ship? ways find time if you really The media, instead of a “medal commit to it. You are more magnificent hunt”, presented us with the What’s New? likely to turn up when some- performance enormity of the sporting feats Towards the end of last season, one else is counting on you, and the camaraderie of all the David Neall and Dianne De and remember, they are count- people; team mates, rivals, Bellis began, through a survey ing on you for more than just families and organisers. What a of members, to search for ways your ability to pull on an oar. feast it was! Torrens Rowing Club could be You are a vital part of your And then there was our own improved. The results high- team. Sally Newmarch. lighted the demand for even When I first started rowing (a Crewed with fellow South more communication within long time ago), we had set Aussie, Amber Halliday they the Club. It seems that you crews for the season. Nowa- began their campaign by setting want to know what’s going on! days, with people travelling a stunning world record time in As a result of that survey, you more frequently, it is impossi- the heat. And in a tough final, can look forward to an in- ble to maintain the same crew the double rowed into a fourth crease in information notices for more than a few weeks. place by attacking early, clearly and current-day photos around That is why we have tried to giving their all, and somehow the Club. But remember that establish larger training squads maintaining their poise to the communication is a two-way at Torrens Rowing Club, ena- finish line. street. You need to come bling some flexibility in forming Sally and Amber, congratula- down regularly to the boatshed crews. That means that you can tions on a magnificent perform- to “smell the boats”, and find travel if you want to, but it also ance. You have made everyone out what is happening in the Club. means that other members of your team may sometimes get at Torrens Rowing Club so very proud. Training a row at your expense. To Miranda Bennett, who made We all seem to be tucking The Rowers all but the final leg of this fan- more and more activities into There are seven rowing squads tastic sporting journey with our lives, making it difficult to operating at the Club as well as Sally and Amber, we also give maintain a regular commitment the “Introduction to Rowing” our thanks. (Blokes look that up!) to a courses. Girls, many of the South Aus- team sport. Yet involvement in tralian rowing fraternity will a team sport is the best way to The highly successful Senior want to express their gratitude exercise. It’s the team aspect Women’s Squad is eying a re- personally. No doubt they will that keeps you accountable and markable premiership double find you a delight to talk to. hat trick. This dynamic and A New Rowing Season Begins A journey’s end for our cham- pions also marks the beginning a new season for the rest of us. It also boasts a modern Club- house located on one of the prettiest “duck ponds” in any city, and a fleet of quality boats located on a world class rowing Creatures of the Night course at West Lakes. Volume 6 Issue 5 Page 3 Captain’s Report Roly Dankbaar popular outfit, under the moti- tional Masters, will enjoy a ers, and, in the case of Torrens vating whip of Phil Blesing, has boost in numbers this year and Rowing Club, certainly a fair experienced a further influx of consequently will have more call. rowers over winter. Leading up rowing options. Quite a number of the boats at to Christmas, they will be in- West Lakes and the Torrens volved in a new SARA event, Regatta Calendar are looking tired and need The Christmas Cup, involving a The South Australian Rowing upgrading for this coming sea- series of round robin races Association has produced a son. I will be asking individual culminating in a December series of regattas that guaran- squads from all parts of the final. The Senior Men’s Squad have dusted off their zooties and are intent on rediscovering their 2002 rowing dominance over Adelaide and Adelaide Univer- sity. Marco is seeking a coach Sunday morning recreation for this talented team, which will also participate in the Christmas Cup. The fastest growing area in the Club is the Novice Squad. Women and men of all ages have come to us through the excellent WEA rowing courses and Lui’s follow up beginner program. These delightful new members bring enthusiasm and a fresh outlook to the Club. I tees all rowers will sleep well Club to undertake this work. In look forward to their eventual over the next six months. The particular, we need to welcome into the leisure mas- order of races has been stan- clean/repair/replace boat hulls, ters or competition masters dardised to give rowers a pre- seats, slides, foot stretchers, squads. dictable and regular race time shoes, gates and buttons on Torrens returns to competition for each event and to enable every boat and oar. in Masters events with some participation in every event in There is no way that we can exciting new faces. Watch out any particular class of rowing. If allow the Club buy any new for our newly formed elite the race-order goes to plan, equipment until all of our women’s crew, which will link clashes of crews needing the current equipment is either up with the bloke’s crew to same boat will be avoided. discarded or in good order. create strong mixed racing Unfortunately, SARA saw fit to Please wash the equipment options. With a men’s squad not award Torrens Rowing after every row and avoid Torrens Rowing that has finally grown suffi- Club the running of a regatta rowing with boat parts Club has a large ciently to fill an eight, they are this year, thereby denying the missing or broken, as that membership all looking ahead to the June Club a much-needed fundrais- often leads to more 2005 Australian Masters Cham- ing opportunity and with little breakages. made up of many pionships in Rockhampton. regard for our Club’s regular The Club’s present financial fine people.