ON THE WATER
Drew Spinney had never picked up an oar before he joined the air force
Truro native Drew Spinney is part of a Canadian Armed Forces rowing team that will compete in the Henley Royal Regatta on the Thames River.
TRURO, N. S. – Rowing down England’s River Thames before thousands of cheering spectators is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
That’s where Truro native Drew Spinney will be in July, as he is part of a Canadian Armed Forces team competing in the Henley Royal Regatta.
“It’s definitely going to be intense and you want to get going, but all the training is to make sure we stay calm,” said Spinney, 22. “We get into the boat, there’s no talking, you listen to the coxswain and do what they tell you.”
The air force second lieutenant and his 10 team mates are undergoing an intense training regimen at their base in Kingston, Ont., to prepare for their regatta race the first week of July.
This means being in the boat at 5:30 a.m., with coaches guiding their every move. The Canadian racing team has eight rowers and one coxswain, whose job it is to steer the vessel and give directions as team leader.
After finishing their normal work day, Spinney and his fellow rowers are back on the water at 5 p.m. for more practice. If the water is too rough, the athletes train on rowing machines and pump weights in the gym.
All nine racers are either officer cadets or recent graduates from the Royal Military College of Canada, with rowers coming from the navy, army and air force.
Military teams from Canada, Britain, Australia, France, the United States, New Zealand, Germany and the Netherlands are all taking part in the King’s Cup competition, which is marking its 100th anniversary this July.
The original 1919 race saw teams from the western Allies compete in the first race after the First World War’s end. Every team must complete a course of 2,112 metres.
“It’s an amazing opportunity and I think when I get there and see all the people, it will put this into reality,” said Spinney. “One hundred years ago there were soldiers waiting to come home from the First World War who were in that sport.”
Growing up in Truro, Spinney had never tried rowing but was a keen curler during his school days. He’s a graduate of Cobequid Educational Centre.
Spinney took up racing on the water while attending the RMC and gained experience against university squads in Canada.
The biggest motivation on race day, Spinney says, is “the push, and you have that boat next to you, and making sure you get ahead of them.”
This year’s Henley Royal Regatta runs July 3 to 7 in Henleyon-thames, west of London. Spinney and his team will be in England from June 24 to July 9.
“It’s definitely going to be intense and you want to get going, but all the training is to make sure we stay calm … We get into the boat, there’s no talking, you listen to the coxswain and do what they tell you.” Drew Spinney