The Team who has been unbeaten for 13 years and three Paralympic Games, add another medal to their collection in this legacy boat race.
The British Rowing team both in the Olympics and Paralympics is the most successful team currently on the water.
As part of the Paralympics team is the PR3 mixed coxed four. Erin Kennedy MBE and Ed Fuller from the British Rowing Club in Caversham, Reading, where they were training before, they left for Paris, spoke to me about previous competitions, They spoke of Ed’s debut at Paris, and Erin’s breast cancer survival as well as giving me the low down on the other two members of the team.
Great Britain’s PR3 Mixed Coxed Four had high hopes for Paris 2024 Paris Paralympics. Winning at the last three Paralympics in London, Rio, and Tokyo, and they looked to make Paris their fourth consecutive win. With the team as strong as ever, both Erin and Ed were quietly confident that the team had what it takes to win.
In the first heat, the team broke both their own Paralympic Game record and their own World Record with a time of 6:43:68
Speaking to Erin she said, “We’ve been unbeaten for so many years that it comes with pressure, but it also comes with a lot of history, and I think we know what we need to do, to get the gold medal. We have so much trust in the team and the other athletes and the staff, that we know how to build a gold medal programme.”
Ed Fuller Said, “We raced twice at the European Championships in April and the Third World Cup in June, we performed well in those regattas, and we can replicate that performance again, then that would be an epic performance and hopefully we can come away with a solid result.”
And in Paris, they have not disappointed, with their fourth consecutive Paralympic Gold. The atmosphere, even from a TV screen, from the roar of the crowds and the continued celebration shows the support that this team has.
Since Tokyo there have been many crew changes with the team now consisting of, Giedre Rakauskaite MBE, Frankie Allen, Ed Fuller, Josh O’Brien and Erin Kennedy MBE (Coxswain).
Erin is the only cox to ever hold four different titles at any one time, she is a Paralympic Champion, three-times World Champion, four-time European Champion and a Guinness World Record Holder.
The PR3 classification is athletes who can use their legs, their trunk, or their arms. They do not have modified boats; they are the same boats as the Olympic programme.
“We just have to make small adjustments within the boat to cater for different people’s classifications and impairments. We have a lot of foot and ankle-based impairments.” Said Erin
Ed’s journey into Para-Rowing started at the age of 11. A genetic blood clotting disorder, Haemophilia, ruled him out of high-impact sports such as rugby, football, and hockey. Climbing through the junior ranks and competing at the Junior Championships, Ed transitioned into Para-Sports at the age of 18 due to his limited mobility and impaired movement in his ankles. In 2022 Ed made his debut in the legacy boat.
Ed Said, “I just fell in love with the sport straight away and went up through the junior ranks competing at the Junior British National Championships and winning gold medals. Everything just built from there and towards Paris.”
The past three years have not been without its battles, especially for Coxswain, Erin who in 2022 was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. “For me, I wasn’t very well doing this cycle and so, I’ve needed to rely on my friends and family even more than I normally would.” Thankfully one year after her diagnosis Erin was given the all clear and true to her word has taken her Oncology team out to Paris to celebrate with her. “I just want everybody there to be able to celebrate regardless of the result, celebrate being on the start line and celebrate the achievement that it is.”
Speaking to past team member and Gold medal Paralympian from Rio 2016, Grace Clough about the preparations and emotions the team would have been feeling before their final performance she said, “The team will be resting, fuelling up, trying to sleep when they can but it will be a very nervous time for them, doesn’t matter if you break a world record, tomorrow is a new day, a new race, but they will be ready and they will be prepared.” Clearly they were.
I spoke to Ed and Erin about accessibility, and if there was one thing they would like to see made accessible what would it be. Erin said “One of the big challenges we have in rowing is accessibility to boat houses. Often, they were built quite a while ago so they may not have lifts. They have awkward stairs or the changing rooms are too small. Then the other thing is also accessibility to docks. It often requires you to wade into the water, which just is not doable for many. We are getting there. There are some great clubs in London that now have floating accessible docks, but it’s not something that’s thought of. So, I’d love to see more accessible boathouses.”
Whilst Ed said he would like to see more sports involved at the Paralympics. The barriers involved include costs “These boats can cost as much as £35,000. There are some incredible organisations throughout the British rowing systems such as Reach Boat Club that help get kids across schools in London on the water and give them a taste of it. if you can get more kids an opportunity to get rowing and get out on the water, they will fall in love with it, just like I did, and that is what I would like to make accessible.”
Before we finished I gave both Ed and Erin some quick-fire questions to find out some fun facts about the team:
“So, who out of all of you is the messiest?”
Ed “G, definitely G” Erin “Annie, she is a messy eater!”
“Who tells the funniest jokes?”
Ed “Josh has got some cracking jokes. He’s got the one-liners that just everyone just laughs up.”
Erin “The funniest is Josh O’Brien he’s hilarious.”
“Who has the best dance moves?” Erin “Josh” Ed “Frankie”
“Three things you cannot live without.”
Erin “Headphones. I’m always listening to podcasts, Snacks, and probably my wedding ring, my engagement ring.”
Ed “Cherrios, I am a big Cherrios Fan! My rowing onesie and my phone!”
“Lastly, do you think you can win?”
Ed” I think we can, yes”
Well, it’s no longer a think, and for debutant Ed Fuller at these Paralympic Games, the tears in his eyes as he crossed the finish line after winning a Gold medal says it all.
The legacy of the PR3 mixed coxed four boat continues to live on. Will it ever be beaten? We certainly hope not!
by Victoria-Jayne Scholes, ADJ CFJ Alumni & Diploma Student
https://www.legallypowered.co.uk
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