A group of local ladies came second at the prestigious Head of the Charles rowing race at Boston Massachusetts

The local rowing team, composed of ladies aged between 53 and 71 with an average age of over 60 competed in the ladies grand masters category for the second time.

The race was held on the 21st of October with thousands of spectators arriving to watch and the competition pulling in over 12,000 competitors across all age groups.

The experienced crew, entered into the competition as Upper Thames Rowing Club, had an amazing race, beating crews from all over the world, which included many Olympians. In this crew, ex-Olympian Liz McVeigh described it as a “great row” from the ladies, and a “superb experience”.

On the race course, they overtook many crews, keeping the power up and choosing a strong course along the river to maximise their speed. The local crew's result came as the culmination of a lot of hard work and training, and their second place medal shows their dedication to their sport and is a great success. 

The Head of Charles race first ran in 1965 and is the world's largest 3 day rowing event involving over 2,200 volunteers.

Many rowing clubs operate a learn to row scheme for adults interested in the sport, so if you think you might like to participate in this age-inclusive sport look on the British Rowing Website for a club near you.