Toby Gould
Trinity Tide - 100 Mile Row
Fundraising for King's College Hospital Charity
Story
How did it go?
Wow - we made it (just!)
Tremendous thanks to everyone involved in supporting us along the way, and to those who have sponsored us. We really appreciate both your financial and emotional support!
We would love to say everything went as planned, but that wouldn't be wholly truthful or make a good story! By far the biggest mishap must have been hitting a 1ft square pillar flat out in the dark towards midnight on the Friday. Unfortunately Trinity Tide took a bit of a knock (picture attached) which proved to be beyond superficial as we took on more and more water over the next 45-odd miles. Fortunately the pillar prevented a far worse fate. The crew got away with just a few bumps and bruises, and crucially we didn’t find ourselves upside down in a washing-machine having launched ourselves off a rather feisty looking weir!
After a couple of hours rest(?!) lying on wooden trestle tables in the wet grass at Ham, we continued in the dark towards Greenwich and the start of the Great River Race. Phenomenal is the only way to describe the effort put in by the crew – still screaming for that last “10 of your best” right up until the finish line – some 31hours 40 minutes and 100 miles plus change since we set off from Reading on Friday morning.
What else can be said – there’s no ‘I’ in ‘Together We Can’!
Thanks again everyone, love ‘The Crew’
What are we up to?
On 14 September 2012 the Trinity Tide crew will embark on a grueling 100 mile row on the Thames, culminating on the 15 September with the 21 mile Great River Race. The Great River Race is London's River Marathon; a spectacular boat race up the Thames that attracts over 300 crews from all over the globe.
Why are we doing it?
Trinity Tide’s best ever coxswain Zoë Richards profoundly inspired the crew with her determination to get through the worst of times when she fell very ill at the end of 2011. Zoë spent many months undergoing numerous operations and enduring an intolerable amount of pain in the care of King’s College Hospital neurology department.
Thankfully Zoë is continuing to recover well and in the not-too-distant future may even be up for coxing us again! Zoë’s sheer strength of will to get through the worst of times inspired the crew to take on a challenge of their own, and to raise money to help King's College Hospital treat other people who find themselves in need in the future.
How, where and when?
We will launch our challenge early on the 14 September departing from Purley on Thames (upstream of Reading) and rowing 58 miles to Ham – the finish point of the Great River Race. If we make good time we’ll catch a couple of hours sleep under the stars before departing again at 4am to row to the start of the Great River Race in Greenwich. Another couple of hours rest at Trinity Tide’s home (the AHOY Centre) should set us up well for the punishing 21 mile race back upstream to Ham!
Four of Trinity Tide’s crew will row the full 100 miles with other crew members rowing sections along the route to maintain six oarsmen throughout. It was too difficult to chose who would take part so this setup enables all of the crew to do their bit, while maximising the challenge for the four core rowers.
Who are we?
Joe Lane (Captain), Stuart Turner, Toby Gould, and Steve Terry will row the full 100 miles.