There is that second, the space between seconds, where everything comes together in perfect synchronicity – that’s where magic lives.
It’s the moment the sun breaks through the clouds and hits the water droplets at just the right angle to create a rainbow bridge between heaven and earth.
It’s the moment each member of the crew hits the perfect rhythm and for those few microseconds there is nothing but the sound of the slide and the faint sound of the blades hitting the water. It’s where the soul finds silence.
It’s only my second time on the water and I’m already in thrall to the sport of rowing. It’s given me this unique glimpse inside my son’s world and I finally understand what drives him out of bed at 4am to train, why he lives each moment just waiting for when he can finally get back on the water.
Look, it’s not all poetry. Four very different personalities, most of us strangers, had to learn very quickly how to trust, how to follow someone else’s lead, how to cope with knowing that everyone else in the boat is relying on you to give 120% and never ever give up.
My crew on this misty Autumn Sunday morning was incredible. We had a lot of laughs, shed a few tears, but experienced those elusive moments of perfection together. It was bonding unlike anything some corporate team build event could ever hope to achieve.
I learned quite a few things too.
The most important being that a fashion corset does not do the job of an orthopaedic back brace. I couldn’t find the brace so resorted to a rather beautiful black corset to give my lower back some support. My back feels fine, but (and this is the kicker), I got my first rowing blister. Not on my hands. Nope. Under my armpit where the corset rubbed against it’s fragile skin for three hours. Lesson learned.
Enormous thanks to the team at the Victoria Lake Rowing Club for giving me this opportunity, for being patient, for giving me motivation and inspiration every step of the way. Most of all, thanks for believing in me, even when I doubt myself.
The Blurred Line 