National Indoor Rowing Success at the John Charles Centre!
Posted 2nd March 2026
This week, students proudly represented the academy at the National Junior Indoor Rowing Competition (NJIRC), held at the John Charles Centre for Sport.
The event brought together young people from across the city, including experienced competitors from established rowing clubs and private schools. Against such strong opposition, our students rose to the challenge with determination and maturity, demonstrating our values of hard work and trust from start to finish. From the moment they arrived, they supported one another, prepared with focus and approached their races with confidence.
Indoor rowing is a true test of resilience. Each race is timed, demanding sustained effort, mental strength and the ability to push beyond perceived limits. Students competed in the following events:
Year 7 - 2 minute row
Year 8 - 3 minute row
Year 9 - 4 minute row
Throughout the afternoon, our rowers showed exceptional commitment, maintaining strong technique and composure under pressure. Staff were particularly proud of the way students encouraged their peers both before and after racing, celebrating success and showing respect in equal measure.
A special mention must go to Serge, Aurianna, Leanna and Dontae, who each achieved top 25 finishes in the Leeds competition. This is a fantastic accomplishment given the depth and experience of the field, and a testament to the training, preparation and perseverance they have shown in school.
The results:
Year 7:
- Serge – 17th of 90 – 493m
- Esa – 37th of 90 – 456m
- Aurianna – 11th of 81 – 493m
- Zaynab – 39th of 81 – 444m
Year 8:
- Dontae – 25th of 97 – 736m
- Austin – 44th of 97 – 695m
- Christian – 37th of 97 – 708m
- Yahya – 54th of 97 – 677m
- Leanna – 24th of 63 – 670m
- Sarah – 52nd of 63 – 603m
Year 9:
- Donart – 50th of 89 – 986m
- Maryam – 50th of 88 – 879m
Every student who took part should feel incredibly proud of their achievement. Representing the academy on a city-wide stage requires courage and commitment, and our rowers did so with integrity and ambition.
The momentum continues next week: On Monday and Tuesday, we will be recording our virtual entries, enabling a further 150 students to represent the academy in the national competition. This is an exciting opportunity to widen participation and allow even more young people to experience competitive sport at this level.
Well done to all students involved! Your effort, conduct and determination exemplify what it means to represent our academy. We look forward to building on this success in the weeks ahead.