Steven Dowd became quadriplegic in 2016 in a cycling accident. Since then he’s taken on and beaten some remarkable challenges. The latest is the EnduRow Challenge.

https://www.endurowchallenge.com/

He now has a bold, ambitious plan for a rowing challenge in 2021.

With building a global community at it’s heart, the EnduRow Challenge will be the World’s biggest, fully inclusive, live, static-rowing charity event encouraging participation from able-bodied and adapted men, women and kids globally.

Sponsors

Rowing Retailer Directory - every rowing business listed and categorised for YOU. Find what you want from oars to gifts, from coaching to ergs.

https://rowing.chat/retailer/

Rowing Tales 2020 book - the collection of rowing stories you'll love for Christmas.

https://rowing.chat/sponsor/rowing-tales-2020/

Buy from Amazon https://amzn.to/39WHcgI

Timestamps

02:30 My personal story in rowing - June 2016 training for Bike London

05:00 Wings for Life Charity whose goal is to find a cure for spinal chord paralysis

09:40 Promise to my wife - I'm a pair of eyes on a pillow and 2 days after surgery in 200 days I'd walk again. Bold, ambitious, and aligned to Christmas.

13:00 After my first big win the next day I needed another goal. Creating challenges for myself. Get back on the bike was my next 200 day challenge. Using the Zwift virtual environment.

18:40 I saw the value of challenges and how to use them for others. I started to create challenges following Ed Jackson who climbed Everest at home up his stairs. We raised £50,000 and I did 12 hours a day for 3 and a half days.

21:30 A journalist asked me What next? I said I fancy a rowing challenge.

22:30 EnduRow Challenge we are all "suffering simultaneously" because of Covid and so we will do a 4 hour erg simultaneously on Feb 6h at 3 pm UK time. The Goal is to have 10,000 people raising £100 each.

26:00 Community using rowing it's a collegiate, passionate thread that runs through the sport. There aren't a lot of "me" in the rowing community.

29:00 Why challenges are a toolkit people can use themselves.

Approach challenges with a clear definition. There is no hierarchy in a challenge, it's yours.

9 tools behind each letter

C - choose to respond effectively

H - help others help you. Facilitate their help

A - accept the situation now - the power to move forwards

L - learn through trial and error

L - leverage all your resources - people, time and money

E - engage. Get in the driver's seat in your life

N - never quit. Different from stopping - but giving up is different.

G - grow through goal setting and set others as you go.

E - ease up and accept you aren't always top of your game.

37:00 I want to build new people into rowing.

You can get pro tips and video from Dr August Leming on psychology on the EnduRow website.

https://www.endurowchallenge.com/training

Contact Steven at www.stevendowd.com