Importance of inclusivity as regatta for disabled returns after covid break

HUNDREDS of people attended the Henley Regatta for the Disabled on Saturday as the event returned for the first time in three years.

About 500 visitors and competitors flocked to the paddock at Phyllis Court Club, off Marlow Road, for the annual boating event, which had been cancelled the last two years due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Spectators watched from the banks as six disabled and able-
bodied teams competed against each other on the River Thames.

Competitors raced in bell boats, a special boat like two Canadian canoes linked together for extra stability, on the stretch between the private members’ club’s court pavilion and the end of the pontoon on the towpath.

The winners were Usain Boat, an able-bodied crew, and the runners-up were the Bowley Boaters.

Certificates were presented to both by Paralympic rowing champions Helene Raynsford and Ellen Buttrick.

Also competing were the Chiltern Centre, Berkshire Vision, the Bird in Hand pub and a team from Phyllis Court Club named Hawaii 50.

Visitors enjoyed free trips on Rivertime, a cruiser adapted for wheelchairs, and could watch the racing from two 12-seater motorboats which ran trips all day.

On land, children sat down for a Punch and Judy show and a roving entertainer roamed the grounds chatting to visitors in sign language.

Visitors petted pigs and donkeys from the Millers Ark mobile farm and tackled a climbing wall that was wheelchair accessible.

Some took part in a rowing machine competition while others made arts and crafts at a stall.

Live music was performed by Sam Brown’s Fabulous Ukulele Club and the band Touch Wood. Accessible toilets were provided by Mobiloo. Lucy Bowley, who was chairing the regatta for the second year, said: “It was brilliant to return and everything went to plan.

“We had one short shower but it didn’t disrupt things particularly.

“The turnout was encouraging, not quite as many as we’ve had previously but having had a three-year gap that is to be expected. I think there’ll be a few more next year.

“What was really important is that the atmosphere was good. We really reached out this year to people who wouldn’t normally have a day like this. It was really inclusive.

“It’s extremely valuable because it allows families to come, irrelevant of their needs, to an event that’s not expensive but is fun and inclusive.

“This is the kind of day people need to feel part of the community and part of a family that’s bigger than their own.

“We live in a world that is getting better about disability but still has a long way to go.”

This year’s event was the first without committee member Carolyn Molyneux, who died in May. In her honour, the Carolyn Molyneux Challenge Cup was introduced and it was presented to the Bowley Boaters, the highest finishing disabled team, as well as a large wooden spoon for coming second.

Mrs Bowley said: “Carolyn’s legacy was all about disability and inclusion, which is why we felt it should go to a team of disabled children.

“It was a really emotional year not having her here. She had been part of the regatta since the beginning.”

She also paid tribute to former chairman Mike Pooley, who died in 2020.

Raynsford, 42, who is a patron of the event and wore the gold medal she won in the women’s single sculls at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, said: “It is so important to have events like these that are accessible to everyone.

“There is such a great inclusivity to the event as everything from the river to toilets is accessible to people with disabilities.

“I am so proud to be a patron as events like these are hard to find. Anyone can just turn up and compete, which I find incredible.”

Buttrick, 27, of Albert Road, Henley, also sported her gold medal, which she won in the mixed coxed four at the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.

She said: “Helene and I have been talking to so many of the kids competing and we hope to inspire the next generation.

“It is such a great chance for people to get out and enjoy the river and have some fun and physical activity is so important for your wellbeing.”

Ian and Natalie Dix, from Rotherfield Greys, attended the regatta with their daughter Louisa, 18, who has cerebral palsy.

Mrs Dix, whose parents own the Bird in Hand pub in Greys Road, Henley, said: “We have been coming here since the very start of the regatta.

“It is run in such an excellent spirit and it is so important to have accessible events like these. It’s a great day out every time we come and this year has been no different. The experience it gives disabled kids is just so important.”

The team from the Chiltern Centre, a respite centre for disabled young adults off Greys Road, were awarded the prize for being the most enthusiastic.

Alison Spary-Hawthorn, team leader at the centre, said: “We had a fantastic time. These things are so valuable in terms of the experience they provide to disabled youngsters. It was great to see them out on the water having such a good time. It was a brilliant day.”

Davina Turnbull has been coming to the regatta for seven years, usually with her son George, 14, who has lobar holoprosencephaly, a rare congenital brain malformation.

George was unable to attend but his mother came with her other children, Harry, 10, and Amelie, eight, as well as her partner Chris Bushell. Harry and Amelie both competed as part of the Bowley Boaters and Harry won the rowing machine competition for the under-15s.

Ms Turnbull, from Caversham, said: “We have had a brilliant day and there is always such a great atmosphere. It has always been particularly special because there are not many events like these.

“Even though George isn’t here today, it is still lovely to see everyone racing on the water.

“It’s such a good experience for the children and it’s a day that’s very treasured by my family.”