Rower reaps rewards at National Junior Games

An oar-some performance has seen 14 year old Brandon sail to a first place finish in adaptive rowing at the National Junior Games.

Over 40 disabled children took on the challenge to row as far as possible in one minute, and Brandon of Woodlands School in Plymouth notched up an impressive 260 meters.

The active teenager’s weekly routine includes a 6,000 metre row every week, and he arrived full of confidence to the National Junior Games organised by WheelPower, the national charity for wheelchair sport. 

Just three years earlier Brandon’s first experience of the sport did not quite go to plan, he managed just 40 meters before taking a fall from the equipment.  He persevered, and with the support of his PE teacher and British Rowing he practised nearly every lunchtime and after school to improve his fitness. 

PE co-ordinator at Woodlands school Katy Wedgwood recognised Brandon’s rowing talent early on. She said “It was obvious that was a key sport for him. It was improving his posture, his core strength, his muscle tone and in no time at all he was rowing after school, he was doing about 6,000 metres a week. The power that it given him and the confidence it has given him, with massive weight loss and muscle building has now enabled him to go on to try different sports.”

Sport has led Brandon to a healthy active lifestyle enjoyed with his family and friends, and is an example of many hundreds of disabled people that transform their lives through WheelPower’s junior sport programme every year.

Over 125 disabled children aged 11-18 took part in this year’s National Junior Games supported by Thomas Cook Children’s Charity.