“I’m rowing because I was told I couldn’t go white water rafting”: ‘The Blind Sculler’ embarking on 100km charity row
A rower from Peterborough is set to undertake the challenge of a lifetime tomorrow, rowing 100 kilometres to promote adaptive rowing and raise much-needed funds to help her club buy equipment suitable for anyone from any background.
Kate Lindgren, who started rowing in 2017, began to lose her sight in her late teens due to a condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa. The deteriorating condition has no cure. She has been left with very limited light perception, but once she is in the boat this does not affect her ability to row.
Kate has been spurred on by her coach Peter Forrest, who won the British Rowing Award for Club Development in 2020 and received a local civic award.
Kate, also known as The Blind Sculler said: “Going out on the river, particularly in a single scull is something that sighted people take for granted.
“Not all of them like it but I love it because I’m out there by myself, ok Pete is in my headset, but quite often he’d drop back in the launch so I couldn’t hear the engine and I really would be there by myself with the gurgling under the boat and all the lovely sounds.
“For me, that is just something I don’t get in normal life.
“I used to love driving my racing tuned Mini Cooper but losing your sight also means losing a lot of your independence,” added the member of Peterborough City Rowing Club.
Since discovering the sport of rowing, Kate has been ticking off some of her ambitious goals. She has already completed a 20k solo row on her local river and a 12-hour continual, the latter raising £4500 to go towards purchasing an adaptive rowing boat for her club.
The boat was named ‘Cassiopeia’ in memory of Kate’s guide dog, Cassy, who passed away last year.
“I had children in my 20s, and did my degree in my 20s so I didn’t give up on wanting to do things but it wasn’t until my late 40s that I felt like I needed to do something.
Walking isn’t a challenge, we all put one foot in front of another, I’m not a particularly keen cyclist and running was never an option!”
Kate and Peter have experimented with all sorts of ideas to get Kate on the water. Having started in a double scull, using a club member to keep the boat balanced, Kate moved into the stroke seat of a quad before they started looking into how they get her into a single scull.
Having heard stories of high-tech fins to assist with steering, Peter and Kate decided the simple way was the best and settled for a good old-fashioned radio, allowing Pete to safely guide Kate around the river bends and out of goodness knows what.
“We need more adaptive rowers to come along and want to do the sport because there are coaches out there who are willing. Adaptive rowing is a one-on-one situation, it’s not a group thing, you can do it in a group but you still need to have one-on-one coaching.
“Since I found rowing, I really don’t think about not being able to see. If people do forget, and they’re not talking to me as if I’m a blind person that is fantastic. If they forget and walk off, leaving me standing in the hope I’m going to follow them, that’s not so good,” added Kate whilst laughing.
Starting tomorrow morning, Kate will set off at 07:00 on her mission to row 100km on the River Nene. She will be supported throughout the day by friends, family, and her fellow Peterborough rowers.
May seems to be the month of challenges! Here's one by an amazing Blind Sculler from @P_C_R_C proving that nothing is impossible with a little but of help and a lot of motivation to help others take their first steps. But you know this already @DrJohnAPatters1 https://t.co/6VP0logR6B
— Judith PACKER (@judith_packer) May 7, 2023
It will be broken into three erg sessions, a 20km row on the river, and laps of the buoyed lake used by the rowing club.
“When I started it was about improving mental health, I wasn’t even thinking about physical health. For a lot of people with a disability, taking the opportunity to get out there is so important and I want to promote getting out on the water.
“You don’t have to go and race. Rowing is a sport that is beneficial to all ages and that’s the message that I’m trying to get out there. I’ve always believed in inclusivity.
“I know I’m the only blind rower in Peterborough but we do have other disabilities and they just get involved in the general squads. If you have someone with dyspraxia they don’t have to be in an adaptive squad, they can go out with general rowers, as long as everyone is aware.
“We don’t have an adaptive squad at Peterborough. We believe that people should be involved and everyone should mix together.”
To support Kate’s fundraising efforts, you can visit her GoFundMe page:
