Thames challenge supports Fulham Reach’s adaptive rowing expansion

World Rowing reported on 29 April that Becky Coleman completed the 6.8km Boat Race course from Putney to Mortlake in 33 minutes. The arms-only rower shared a coxed double with coach Denise Martin van Meurs, joining adaptive crews from Britain and France.

Fulham Reach Boat Club connected the challenge to a broader accessibility programme supported by the National Lottery Community Fund. The club’s ramp, pontoon and adapted equipment helped overcome barriers posed by steep banks and the tidal Thames. Planned courses included visually impaired and physically impaired participants.

The club aimed to triple registered adaptive participation and combine regular rowing with social activities. The official account described Coleman as believed to be the first arms-only athlete to complete the course; it did not establish a ratified record. The archive date reflects the source’s publication, rather than an inferred exact date for the earlier challenge.