GB training camp beckons for Perse rower
Laura Burton (Upper Sixth) will be testing the water at the top level after being drafted into the British Rowing U19 squad for a winter training camp.
The call-up rounds of a successful 2021 for Laura, who won the girls’ singles sculls title at the National Schools Regatta in May.
Laura was chosen for the GB camp after impressing in trials, which included a 2km test on a rowing machine and a 5km time trial on the water.
She is relishing the opportunity to take part, with the possibility of selection for the World Junior Championships in Italy and the prestigious Coupe de la Jeunesse in Spain up for grabs.
“The camp will involve testing out crew combinations and seeing who works well together,” said Laura. “There will be land training and strength and conditioning as well, but it’s just exciting because the boats will always be really fast as everyone will be so good.
“Being able to train with the top girls in the country will give me even more motivation to train harder because you realise the quality of the others going for these places, so it’s just about trying to keep on top of your game.
“It’s really important to row well and show your ability to row in a crew boat at these training days. I spend a lot of time in a single scull, so being part of a quad, for example, would be a harder challenge because it’s so important that everyone moves together and that the mechanics are the same.”
To ensure she is in peak condition, Laura trains every day with a mixture of weight training and rowing machine work during the week rounded off by 18km sessions on the water, followed by another hour on the rowing machine, at weekends.
Laura, who has been nominated for SportsAid funding by British Rowing, said: “In the New Year, there will be more GB training days just to work on crew boats, with a 5km time trial in February and an assessment at Nottingham in March, so it all ramps up from the spring and I’m really looking forward to it.”
In addition, she has also been invited to take part in the Team England Futures programme, which will give her the chance to go behind the scenes at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Laura said: “You get to see the training facilities and take part in workshops to find out what it takes to be part of a team, especially with taking part in a multi-disciplinary competition.”
You get to see the training facilities and take part in workshops to find out what it takes to be part of a team, especially with taking part in a multi-disciplinary competition.
Laura Burton
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