So i've been away for a while again. This time to Oxford to rejoin my old college boat club and start a coaching job. I am going to be there for 4-5 days a week and then back in Suffolk to train at Sudbury at the weekends. I've been put in charge of the lower boats squad as it might be a bti strange to be coaching the 1st VIII and people that i was rowing with just a few months ago. I can already tell that it's going to be a lot of fun though. The girls have a lot of potential and just being back amongst the spires is inspiring me to get on with the challenge of raising money! I've realised that i actually miss studying though so can't wait to go back to uni in September.
So how has training been going? Not that well to be honest. I got back from Italy and it was all good but after a day of catching up on sleep and refuelling, the dreaded lurgy got me (and pretty much the whole crew apparently). It wasn't bad at all but just enough to prevent me from sitting on the erg for too long. I've done something everyday this week but not as much as i would like. Hopefully going back to Sudbury tomorrow will help get me back into it as i can always erg down there. It seems to be the right temperature and have the right environment for hard work. Next week i'm taking my road bike to Oxford so i can have the option of going for a ride or popping on the turbo instead of erging all the time. I'm finding variation very helpful at the moment.
And finally the age old question of sponsorship. it's not going great. I have been sending out lots and lots of emails this week and phoning up companies to get contact names but to no avail. It really is about getting the information to right person and that is not easy. Websites sometimes help but as most companies don't advertise their staff members, it does normally mean sending them to enquiries@... or info@ addresses. I'm going to send letters and phone and generally try to make myself a nuisance. I really need to do more for local companies though. But again, getting the names if a problem. If anyone out there knows somebody in a position of responsibility in a firm, in advertising or marketing or just the top honcho, please let me know! I will do all the leg-work but i need the name first.
I'm going to put the names if people who have supported me so far on the this page somewhere and also on the main crew website which has now been constructed. The address is www.piraterow.com and you can see more about the rest of the crew and the boat on there.
Friday 23 January 2009
Thursday 15 January 2009
Back from Italia
Well i'm back. Turns out i was needed to row for the entire week so i managed to do 15 sessions in 6 days. Not a bad effort. And no real adverse effects from the old back injury so i'm pretty hopeful i've now got it under control. I'm still going to go to a chiropractor though as there is no point risking anything right now.
So news from when i was away. I returned to find that i had 75 emails to read and reply to. Many were from alumni from my college, Teddy Hall in Oxford, to offer support and help financially and with more practical things such as accomodation in Aus and equipment. it was such a great feeling to come back and be greeted by people willing to help. This challenge seems to be attracting attention from many people now so i can only hope that my good fortune continues - i'm still a very long way from my target! And i'm desperately looking for corporate sponsorship. I know that times are very hard for everyone at the moment but the potential return on events like these are huge. Just think about how much attention the Atlantic race and Cracknell and Fogle received and this is the very first Indian Ocean Race and the crew has the potential to break so many records:
- the FIRST ever ocean rowing eight
- the FIRST female to cross the Indian
- the FIRST paraplegic to cross the Indian (my fellow female crew member and skipper Angela Madsen is a paraplegic, paralympian and has already crossed the Atlantic)
- the FIRST time a disabled athlete has crossed two oceans
- the YOUNGEST person to cross the Indian
The crew has already been receiving press in the UK and the US but there is so much more that can be done. I'm frantically trying to get as much publicity as possible and any corporate sponsor could be a part of that. Contact me for more details!
As from next week i am going to be in Oxford f0r 4-5 days a week so there will be plenty of opportunities to use the facilities and resources there (a lot more than back in Suffolk!). I will still be training with Sudbury at the weekends and be very much a part of the club but my old college has offered me the chance to coach their women's squad part time and use their boathouse as a training base whenever i like so i can't really refuse. It's a lot easier to cycle 10 mins to train than drive for 40 mins!
So news from when i was away. I returned to find that i had 75 emails to read and reply to. Many were from alumni from my college, Teddy Hall in Oxford, to offer support and help financially and with more practical things such as accomodation in Aus and equipment. it was such a great feeling to come back and be greeted by people willing to help. This challenge seems to be attracting attention from many people now so i can only hope that my good fortune continues - i'm still a very long way from my target! And i'm desperately looking for corporate sponsorship. I know that times are very hard for everyone at the moment but the potential return on events like these are huge. Just think about how much attention the Atlantic race and Cracknell and Fogle received and this is the very first Indian Ocean Race and the crew has the potential to break so many records:
- the FIRST ever ocean rowing eight
- the FIRST female to cross the Indian
- the FIRST paraplegic to cross the Indian (my fellow female crew member and skipper Angela Madsen is a paraplegic, paralympian and has already crossed the Atlantic)
- the FIRST time a disabled athlete has crossed two oceans
- the YOUNGEST person to cross the Indian
The crew has already been receiving press in the UK and the US but there is so much more that can be done. I'm frantically trying to get as much publicity as possible and any corporate sponsor could be a part of that. Contact me for more details!
As from next week i am going to be in Oxford f0r 4-5 days a week so there will be plenty of opportunities to use the facilities and resources there (a lot more than back in Suffolk!). I will still be training with Sudbury at the weekends and be very much a part of the club but my old college has offered me the chance to coach their women's squad part time and use their boathouse as a training base whenever i like so i can't really refuse. It's a lot easier to cycle 10 mins to train than drive for 40 mins!
Monday 5 January 2009
Crew selection and local press
The crew has finally been selected and i'm definitely in it! Up to now, i've just been part of the squad but now the 8 has been picked. It's absolutely incredible and brilliant news and i can't wait to get to the start line. Before i can get there though i need to raise 15 grand and that is proving very elusive right now. It is probably the worst possible time to be looking for sponsorship but i will struggle on and i'm determined to get it. Anyone interested in joining the effort, please get in contact with me! For corporate sponsors there are many things that i can do for you in return, from wearing branded clothing, naming you on this blog and on the official crew site, potential branding on the actual boat, coverage in the local press and the opportunity to have myself or other members of the crew come and talk to your firm. There is a sponsorship pack available with more details so please get in touch. For individuals, again contact me and i will get back to you with more details.
Also the local press has gone a bit crazy with the story and there have been articles in the Suffolk Free Press http://www.suffolkfreepress.co.uk/news/Helen39s-naked-ambition.4828836.jp (bit obsessed with the possible nakedness on the trip!) and the East Anglian http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/story.aspx?brand=EADOnline&category=News&tBrand=EADOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=IPED04%20Jan%202009%2012%3A28%3A39%3A713. The Bury Free Press is running it this week as well so lots of exposure. Let's hope it results in some financial support.
And finally in the training front, it's been a week of rehab on the erg. I've managed 3 x 15k (about 1hr10mins) and an 18k (1hr25mins) plus 2 hours on the bike and lots of core stability which no adverse effects. From now on it really starts to rev up and hopefully within the next couple of weeks i will be training twice a day. I'm going away on Wed to Italy for a week but not on holiday. I will be coaching my old uni crew on their training camp and whilst i'm there taking advantage of the slightly warmer weather and 5km lake to get some quality time on the water (especially as the Stour is currently frozen over!)
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