Andy & Laura Green caught by the Henley Standard photographer
This marks the start of a very strange week for me. As an (ex-)rower i have not missed a Henley Royal Regatta for 30 years! This years regatta is cancelled due to the COVID-19 restrictions of course. And i am sad!
Believe it or nor, prior to my first time going to the regatta i had NEVER even heard of it! I was 18 years old, had rowed a little bit (not very well) at school…but loved rowing! A friend of mine invited me up for the day and it was great…. even in the rain. The very next year at my first university, Imperial College, we lost by just 3 feet in a final of one of the eights events.
During the next three years i was lucky enough to be part of crews that won two events. One
Henley Royal Regatta Stewards Enclosure before the crowds arrive
of those wins came after a very rare Dead Heat in a Henley Final. We had to re-row the whole race and won that one by one boat length. Such fantastic memories and friends that will last me a lifetime.
I have also been lucky enough to coach crews at the regatta, and watch athletes that i have coached go on to multiple Henley wins and even Olympic medals.
I have applied my chiropractic skills on many athletes at the regatta. Whilst coaching i was known by many as a sports chiropractor and have adjusted lots of spines inside the Henley boat tents.
The more recent years have been filled by time at the bar, and in the luncheon tents rather than following every race and result. But to catch up with friends you haven’t seen from one year to the next, in such an environment is always fantastic.
This is why Henley Royal Regatta is such an important part of my year. It is my definition of the english summer.
Imperial College BC – Winners Visitors Challenge Cup 1994
Enjoy the Summer!
I raise all this as it is so very important for us all to prioritise our family and friends. All of us have had to compromise on how we live our lives due to the lockdown restrictions. We must all accept how these changes have affected us. Start planning how you can catch up, safely, with friends and family.
Taking part in any simple activity that brings you joy is invaluable, especially right now. Please take time to prioritise yourself and have some fun! Fun and laughter have such positive effects on both our mental health, and physical health. We have all suffered stress and anxiety to some extent over the last few months. Now is the time to enjoy the summer, and start to feel good about having fun again.
Over the coming weeks i hope that you will get some catch ups from some of the other members of Team Reflex. As the clinic has been opening up it has been lovely to catch up with so many of our familiar faces and find out how you have all been doing. If you haven’t been into the clinic since the lockdown eased we would love to see you. You know where to find us when you need us.
I’m off for long glass of Pimms! Cheers!
