Two rowing boats, funded by the National Lotteries Commission (NLC), were recently christened by two of the biggest names in American rowing.
Accomplished American rower, Arshay Cooper, along with one of the USA’s most seasoned rowing coaches, Kevin Harris, named the two rowing boats: Tata a Coastal quad and Lawhill a Coastal double – at a ceremony held in Simon’s Town on Saturday, May 27. These boats are used to train the high school maritime rowing students who attend the Lawhill Maritime Centre at Simon’s Town School.
Cooper and Harris’ visit to South Africa generated much excitement among rowing enthusiasts.
Cooper’s award-winning movie, A Most Beautiful Thing, was screened for the first time in South Africa during his visit.
It is the inspirational story about a sport that takes four young men from the mean streets of Chicago, to the hallowed halls of the Ivy League and, in doing so, forever changes their lives – and the sport – for the better.
“When we were on the water, we were in a place where we could not hear the sound of sirens or bullets and that allowed us to shape a different vision for ourselves, of who and what we could become. And that was a beautiful thing,” says Cooper.
He was captain of America’s first all-black high school rowing team and his story of rowing is an inspiring one of overcoming adversity, resilience and determination.
“Arshay Cooper’s visit to Cape Town was not only an opportunity for Lawhill’s students to learn from an accomplished athlete but to be personally inspired by his incredible story of the profound change that can come about, pulling together as a team, on the water,” Faye Kula, Lawhill’s programme administrator.
During their stay, Cooper and Harris spent time coaching rowers from the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Cape Coastal Rowing Club (CCRC) as well as the Lawhill Rowing Club, which was formed with the help of CCRC in 2014.
“Rowing is often viewed as an exclusive sport reserved for a privileged few. But the support of the CCRC and Cooper’s commitment, as well as his inspiring personal story, has made rowing a more inclusive sport,” says Kula.
“We are enormously privileged to have Arshay Cooper and Kevin Harris travel from the USA to spend time with our students and to help us raise funds for the CCRC/Lawhill rowing programme and to name the two boats, funded by the NLC. Their visit will do much to inspire a future generation of rowers.”
Cooper, an author, motivational speaker and advocate for greater diversity in sport, believes the culture of rowing needs to change. “There needs to be a shift in the way rowing is perceived. We need to make it more inclusive by creating an environment where everyone feels welcome.”
