Pararower to take on oar-some River Witham challenge

Lucy Radley a long distance pararower, is planning to row 62 miles from Boston Rowing Club to Lincoln, which is the usual route for the Boston Rowing Marathon, but she's making it doubly difficult by rowing the return journey back to the rowing club.

Lucy, a freelance journalist, suffers from MS, and said that rowing is one of the best things to help her condition: "It keeps me walking, which in turn keeps me working."

Having competed five times in the Boston Rowing Marathon, hosted by the town's rowing club, Lucy wanted a challenge to take on as the regatta she would normally compete in over in Holland has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

She is also being supported by Olympic gold medallist Andrew Hodge, and is aiming to finish the challenge in 12 hours or less, as the last time she completed a course of this length, she finished in a frustrating 12 hours and three minutes.

The running joke among rowers, Lucy said, is that this stretch of the Witham is incredibly boring to row on:

"It feels like it takes forever as you can see Lincoln Cathedral for miles and miles, and it feels like you're not getting anywhere!

"It's as much of a mental challenge as it is a physical one.

"You have to be a little bit nuts to do something like this, and I'll freely admit that I am!"

She will be supported in her rowing challenge by London Youth Rowing, which aims to help children in deprived areas of the capital to access rowing.

"I also wanted to dispel the myth that rowing is only a sport for the elite and wealthy," she said, "I was a lorry driver for years, and I live in Teeside which isn't a terribly affluent area, but I was surprised to see how easy it is to get into rowing.

"There are lots of opportunities to get into rowing, you can go to your local rowing club or even virtually. Rowing clubs are always open to new members, especially in these post-COVID times."

Lucy will be setting off on her Boston to Lincoln rowing challenge at 5am on Saturday June 5 at Boston Rowing Club, aiming to finish back at the club 12 hours later.