Why you need to join the EnduRow rowing machine charity challenge

If you have access to a rowing machine, you can make a difference. A spinal cord injury left Steven Dowd paralysed from the neck down. Now the inspirational keynote speaker has launched EnduRow to raise money for the people that changed his life.

Join Olympians, Paralympians, rowing champions and world-class athletes on Saturday 6th February 2021 at 15:00 GMT for four hours of fundraising. This community rowing challenge is about duration instead of distance, meaning everyone's able to take part. Everyone. Everywhere. Pulling together. Fundraising for spinal cord research.

If you want to be part of the world's biggest fully-inclusive indoor rowing event for charity, register for EnduRow or simply help raise much needed funds for spinal cord injury and visit the JustGiving page.

“It all happened in an instant,” explains Steven Dowd, creator of the EnduRow Challenge. “I didn't see the barrier. I was training for RideLondon, a 100-mile cycle ride, when I fell and suffered a spinal cord injury from a broken neck. Just like that I was paralysed from the neck down.

“I only had an hour window to decide but I was fortunate to be offered a place on an experimental clinical trial funded by Wings for Life. It not only gave me hope, but ultimately gave me back my mobility, my dignity and my future.”

What is the EnduRow rowing machine challenge?

An opportunity for against-the-odds recovery, Steven set a bold and ambitious goal. 200 days after his accident, he the turkey to the Christmas table. Another 200 days after that and he was back on his bike to complete the RideLondon mileage on a turbo trainer.

Now he's launched the EnduRow Challenge to not only raise vital funds for Wings for Life, but to bring more people together through a collaborative challenge, sport and movement.

How can I take part in the event?

EnduRow is a four-hour ERG or rowing machine event that's all about camaraderie rather than competition. Raising money for Wings for Life, EnduRow is using rowing to set up a community event where everyone everywhere can pull together to do something constructive.

If you have access to an ERG or rowing machine, you can take part. The official start time is:

Saturday 6th February 2021 – four hours of rowing from 15:00 GMT (07:00 PST, 10:00 EST, 16:00 CET).

Take it in turns with friends as part of a team or take on the challenge yourself. However you take part in EnduRow, you'll be joined by a community of people around the world putting in the effort for a good cause.

For more information visit the EnduRow website.

What is Wings for Life all about?

Wings for Life is a not-for-profit spinal cord research foundation. They fund world-class scientific research and clinical trials around the globe aimed at healing the injured spinal cord.

The Wings for Life research foundation was first set up by two-time motocross world champion, Heinz Kinigadner and the founder of Red Bull, Dietrich Mateschitz. Together with a team of leading scientists, they began a mission to find ways of curing all people affected by traumatic spinal cord injury.

For more information visit Wings for Life.