I used to row competitively at school and university. I loved the sport. The teamwork. The speed and grace of movement through the water. The sheer, utter, physical exhaustion. The racing. Once I'd left college I found it hard to find any nearby clubs but still rowed on a Concept 2 ergo in the gym. It was my favourite piece of equipment with its intense physical demands in short periods of time. I usually rowed 2000 metres and heavens that made a difference to my fitness.
I thought rowing was over after my accident. I did get excited watching the Paralympian rowers. Then I
FES (Functional Electrical Stimulation) "is a means of producing contractions in muscles, paralysed due to central nervous system lesions, by means of electrical stimulation". Robin has combined FES with an adapted Concept 2 machine so that people with spinal cord injury can row. And not just row with their arms but with their legs too. I've seen a tetraplegic rowing and if I had not known she was paralysed, I'd have thought she was rowing normally. It was breathtaking.
The process starts with FES only, on the quadriceps, to build their strength. I've done some before so knew what to expect but even so, watching my legs move as if of their own accord was fabulous. I have to shock them three times a week, each time until the legs stop moving, and now I'm up to the maximum one hour per session. Robin reckons I'll start rowing with six weeks. I can't wait. I'm so excited at the thought of rowing again, of doing some intense exercise, of using my whole body. It's going to be out of this world.
And if you're jealous, then don't be! Robin's looking for more participants, so if you're interested, get in touch with him!
