After months of indoor preparation, a blistering hot afternoon on Thursday 10th July saw our Year 8 & 9 rowing team compete in the London Youth Rowing Games at Stratford.
The students were required to assign themselves a range of roles, from team leader and motivator to wellbeing lead and health & safety officer.
First up: the team name — and with a unanimous vote, Stroke of Genius was born.
We began with paddleboarding, where students had to complete a series of tasks.
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Next came the challenge of combining brawn and brains. Teams had to answer quiz questions to determine how many rowing strokes they were allowed. A special mention goes to our team leader, who impressively rowed over 350m in just 15 strokes.
The leadership round required strategic thinking to position students based on their rowing speed. Fortunately, Jayden and Anthony — two members of our athletics team — stepped up and led the way with confidence and determination.
It was then back onto the water for a capture-the-flag game against the clock. Zed’s leadership shone through here, expertly guiding the boat to a well-earned victory.
In the final challenge, students faced a series of quiz questions with answers that formed letters to be rearranged into a word. Fittingly, POWER was cracked by Zed, Rory, Leith, and Nehmia.
To close the day, it was the teachers’ paddleboard race where CFSB staff team won the gold and bronze medals.
Each round awarded points… and when we didn’t hear our school’s name called for third or second place, we dared to dream — and rightly so. A first place finish was confirmed after a brilliant day full of leadership, teamwork, knowledge, and muscle.
A huge well done to all the boys involved.
Next stop: the 2028 Olympics…
