Rowing everywhere but Colombia

They’re Colombian rowers but they’ve never rowed in Colombia. It took a move to the other side of the world to make that happen.

On the banks of the Thames River in London, Phil Rowley at the Tideway Scullers School has been appointed by the Colombian Rowing Federation as their first official national coach.

Tideway coach Phil Rowley explains: ?Colombia has no established rowing in their country, so I got the agreement from both the Colombian Rowing Federation and the Olympic Committee that until an official training base was set up, I would situate the team in the UK.?

?Up to last September I had not met anyone from Colombia or even been there. When I finally went to Colombia I had meetings with the President of the Rowing Federation and also the General Secretary. They were delighted that finally Colombia was being seen on the international rowing scene. I also had a meeting with the Olympic Committee who was finally convinced that rowing was going to be taken very seriously.?

Phil Rowley now has a team of five athletes: three lightweight scullers (Rafael Mora, Rodrigo Ideus and Kaarin Scanlan) and two open weight men based in South America at the moment.

Up until now, Colombia has only been represented three times on the international stage. In 2003 Mora competed at the World Rowing Championships in the lightweight single and Ideus competed at the 2004 and 2005 World Rowing Junior Championships. The team will be racing this year at the Rowing World Cups and World Rowing Championships including Colombia’s first ever woman international competitor, Scanlan who will race this summer in the lightweight single.

Colombia is eager to have applications from any rowers who are of Colombian parentage and are currently training to a high level within a club or university.  All applicants should make contact with the Colombia’s national coach, Phil Rowley at piprow@aol.com.

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