With three major international competitions on the horizon, members of the Nassau Rowing Club (NRC) are working diligently to ensure they have a good showing and bring positive awareness to the sport of rowing locally.

According to NRC President Kyle Chea, the team is currently training for both the Miami International Regatta in April and the Florida Masters Regatta in May. For the Miami regatta, they’ll look to field a junior boys’ double sculls team; and for the Florida Masters regatta, they intend to field a men’s coxed fours team.

“Training has been going really well up to this point,” said Chea. “We’re getting in the water every Saturday and right now we’re pleased with the amount of people showing interest in the sport. The junior squad is coming along nicely, and we hope to have a good showing at both competitions. We’ve just been working and going to different schools to recruit athletes who may be interested.”

Also, competing internationally under the club’s umbrella is Emily Morley, who’ll be looking to make history in March by taking part in the women’s single sculls at the FISA Olympic Rowing Qualification Regatta for the Americas in Valparaíso, Chile. At the competition, she will attempt to become the first Bahamian to qualify for the Olympic Games in rowing. The 2016 Summer Olympics is set for August 5-21, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“It’s exciting. I think it will give The Bahamas such a big opportunity to start a new sport, and a sport that could potentially grow so much,” Morley said. “Just showing up at the qualifier will give The Bahamas a name.”

Chea added: “It’s a big step for us locally and I hope that she’s able to qualify for this summer’s games. Just the fact that she’s in the position that she is says a lot.”

Morley left New Providence for boarding school in New York at age 15. She ended up at the Emma Willard School in Troy, New York, and it was there that she gained interest in the sport of rowing. She rowed for all four years of high school and was a captain her senior year. She was recruited by multiple division three schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), but ultimately chose Ithaca College.

The Nassau Rowing Club is a non-profit organization that was established on August 10, 2012 by six rowing enthusiasts with the aim of developing a premier competitive rowing program in The Bahamas for rowers of all experience, age and fitness levels.

Corporate sponsors include Holowesko Pyfrom Fletcher, Baha Mar, the Bahamas Medical Center, the Old Fort Bay Town Centre, the New Providence Development Company, Odyssey Aviation Bahamas, Solomon’s Fresh Market, Lennox Paton Corporate Services Ltd., PCL Imports, SMG Construction & Millwork, Concept2, the Lyford Cay International School, SunTee EmbroidMe and Bahamas Waste.

By Randy Smith

Guardian Sports

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