Zak Joins GB Junior Rowing!

Congratulations to Year 10 student, Zak, who has been selected as one of only sixteen boys for the GB Junior Rowing Squad and is looking forward to starting his training with them next weekend! Zak’s success is a testament to his hard work and dedication and quickly follows his Silver medal at the National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships where he came 2^nd out of 707 rowers and his Gold medal at the Henley winter regatta this season.

Zak began his rowing career in Year 7 at Leighton Park when he joined the rowing hobby run by Chemistry teacher, Adam Ball. Adam initially offered a co-curricular indoor rowing activity which progressed onto the water at Reading rowing club when the weather warmed up: “without him I wouldn’t have found out that I liked it.” reflected Zak. Zak’s prior experience of rowing was limited to a childhood encounter with Olympic rower, Pete Reed but perhaps a great future was on the horizon even then as Zak won the erg challenge for his age group at only eight years old! At Leighton Park, Zak entered the British Indoor Rowing Championships (BRIC) in the December of Year 7 achieving a Silver medal and enjoyed his summer holiday experience at Henley Rowing Club at the end of the academic year, showing sufficient promise to be invited to join the club where he has gone from strength to strength.

“The sport at Leighton Park has ensured that Zak maintains great diversity across different sports so he’s not just a rower.” commented Zak’s mum, Helen. “He swims here. He still gets involved and he doesn’t focus too much on the rowing. Jez [Director of PE, Sport and Wellbeing] was Zak’s tutor in Year 8 and was excellent at bringing his confidence out, encouraging him and making him feel good about his sporting achievements. We really like the fact that there are lots of opportunities at Leighton Park, sports, academic, arts, drama. We like it because it’s an outstanding all-round school and whatever your child is good at, the support exists. They find it and encourage them to thrive. We have noticed that Zak’s recent sporting success has also improved his confidence and performance across all areas. We have seen his academic work and his involvement in lessons move up to the next level recently which is wonderful to see.”

Excited but nervous about the start of GB training next weekend, Zak enthused: “It’s a great opportunity for me to improve my skills and make progress with the best coaches in the country. I’m quite young for them so it’s going to be a steep learning curve! I’m the youngest one there by a year so I’m hoping to keep up. I just have to trust myself and trust my capability. I haven’t met the coach yet, that is happening at the first weekend of April. I’m trying not to think about it too much; it’s scary but exciting! I’m looking forward to being on the water with the best people in the country for my age group; I’m sure it will be a brilliant experience!”