“The ergathon has been in the organisation phase for almost five months,” said Erin Rogers, fundraising committee member of Maties Rowing. Maties Rowing recently held their annual ergathon, where athletes row for 24 hours non stop to raise funds for Maties Rowing. VIDEO: Jess Holing
The Maties Rowing team exceeded their initial goal of rowing 500km during their annual 24-hour ergathon to raise funds for the biggest event of their season, said Jess de Freitas, social media and events manager for Maties Rowing.
The athletes rowed from 17:00 on 10 August to 17:00 on 11 August, explained Rogers. They aimed to row 500km and raise at least R40 000, said Erin Rogers, fundraising committee member of Maties Rowing.
The team ended up rowing 652.785km, said De Freitas.
The ergathon raises funds for the annual Boat Race competition, where the best rowers in the country from different universities race against each other, said Rogers. The competition is held in Port Alfred in September, she stated.
“Our goal for Boat Race is to place at least third in both the women’s and men’s races,” said Rogers
This would be the best Maties has done in the history of the race, she said.
Boat Race is where the best rowers in the country from different universities race against each other, said Rogers. The competition is held in Port Alfred in September, she stated.
Everyone rows like their life depends on it at the Maties Rowing team’s annual 24-hour ergathon, said Erin Rogers, fundraising committee member of Maties Rowing. The goal of the event is to raise funds for an annual competition where university teams race against each other in September, she said. Tshiamo Dhlamini and Leigh Cundill (pictured above) completed their hour-long rowing slot outside of Stellenbosch University’s Huis Marais Men’s Residence. PHOTOS: Jess Holing
Hard work pays off
For 24 hours, Maties rowers took shifts to row on rowing machines at various locations on Stellenbosch University’s campus, with a dual goal of fundraising and “establishing a robust presence” in the public eye, said Lailah Bald, fundraising committee member of Maties Rowing.
Donations often come from SU alumni and supporters, said De Freitas. Maties Sport and some parents are donating R10 per km, said Bald.
Most of the funding goes towards reducing member fees for the Boat Race, said Bald. The possibility of new boats is also on the horizon, she added.
“We’re aiming high this year. Maties rowing is on the up!” said De Freitas.
The Maties rowers get a lot of support from viewers that pass by throughout the Maties Rowing team’s annual 24-hour ergathon, said Erin Rogers, fundraising committee member of Maties Rowing. The aim of the ergathon was to raise funds for Boat Races, their upcoming competition in September where rowing teams from different universities compete, said Rogers. PHOTO: Jess Holing
On their way up
“Our team is [currently] one of the best we’ve had in years,” said Rogers. The family environment the club has created has been pivotal for the improvement and development they have seen in the sport, added Rogers.
“We had one of our best performances at University Sports South Africa (USSA) sprints earlier this year where we proved that we can be just as competitive as the top clubs,” said De Freitas.
The ergathon is a tradition that unites the rowers, said Rogers. Rowing continues throughout the night, averaging at about 14 kilometers per person, and no one complains, she said.