Shoreham Rowing Club plans monster charity challenge in memory of former cox

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A team from Shoreham Rowing Club has signed up for a 100km race in memory of a young woman who was ‘the beating heart of the club’.

Becky Povey died from a brain tumour in 2015, aged 24, and is still missed every day.

Nine club members have signed up for the Parthenon-EY Ringvaart Regatta in the Netherlands on May 22 and they will be raising money for The Brain Tumour Charity in memory of Becky.

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Toby Strevens, one of the crew, said: “Whilst we intend to race competitively, we thought we should try and make some money for charity at the same time, in honour of Becky Povey, who was the beating heart of the club and still sorely missed every day and who also would undoubtedly have been coxing us simply to laugh at the sheer pain in all our faces enduring a 100K row.”

Isobel Hussey, cox, with the crew of eight, Will Marks, Will Mcgrath, Toby Strevens, Charlotte Rolfe-Pigg, Sally Hills, Anna Hollingdale, Garry Saunders and Simon HumberstoneIsobel Hussey, cox, with the crew of eight, Will Marks, Will Mcgrath, Toby Strevens, Charlotte Rolfe-Pigg, Sally Hills, Anna Hollingdale, Garry Saunders and Simon Humberstone
Isobel Hussey, cox, with the crew of eight, Will Marks, Will Mcgrath, Toby Strevens, Charlotte Rolfe-Pigg, Sally Hills, Anna Hollingdale, Garry Saunders and Simon Humberstone

The idea followed the club’s win at the Boston Marathon in September, which Toby said the mixed eight team achieved without any training.

Toby said: “In the euphoric pain of that victory, whilst sipping our well-deserved pints after a four-hour row, someone thought it would be a good idea to go one further and enter a race twice the distance and so the Ringvaart regatta was entered.”

A target of £3,000 has been set and already more than £2,000 has been raised.

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Isobel Hussey, cox, said the club would be competing against teams from all over the world.

Becky Povey, centre, as cox at the 2014 Shoreham Rowing Club regatta. Picture: Derek Martin D14241956aBecky Povey, centre, as cox at the 2014 Shoreham Rowing Club regatta. Picture: Derek Martin D14241956a
Becky Povey, centre, as cox at the 2014 Shoreham Rowing Club regatta. Picture: Derek Martin D14241956a

The route leads from Leiden on to the Kaag, round the Ringvaart until the Kaag is passed once again on the way to Leiden, Leidschendam and finally Delft.

Isobel said: “We have been training since the beginning of the year. The team are all members of Shoreham Rowing Club, a volunteer-run amateur rowing club with members of a variety of ages.”

Other crew members are Will Marks, Will Mcgrath, Charlotte Rolfe-Pigg, Sally Hills, Anna Hollingdale, Garry Saunders and Simon Humberstone.

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The race dates back to 1976, when LAGA Rowing Club in Delft invited Njord Rowing Club in nearby Leiden to a monster race as part of its centenary celebrations.

The following year, 12 teams took part and since 1979, teams from other countries have joined in.

The Brain Tumour Charity is the world’s leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally. It is committed to saving and improving lives. Visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/toby-strevens to make a donation.

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