Back in November 2023, BC Children’s Hospital received funding to partner with the BC rowing community to develop a program designed to increase the engagement of adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) in rowing.

With a grant from the I’m a HIPpy Foundation and the Peterson Fund for Global Hip Health, the team was able to launch their 3-year pilot project.

To provide this opportunity, BC Children’s Hospital turned to the BC rowing community. Quickly, five clubs signed up and agreed to support the study. Burnaby Lake, Delta Deas, Maple Bay, Vancouver, and Victoria City Rowing Clubs all committed to partnering with BC Children’s for the pilot project. All of these clubs had inclusion of para rowers and this represented an opportunity to expand their programs.

The study is starting with 20 adolescents between the ages of 12-18 with CP, initially in 3-month learn to row programs. In 1.5 to 2 hour sessions, one or twice per week, the participants joined local rowing clubs in BC and took to the water.

“It was incredible,” one of the study participants added. “Just to get the opportunity to learn how to row, you know, it’s not an opportunity that many people in my demographic get to experience.”

The study found success quickly, leading many of the participants to want to continue rowing after the 3-month learn to row period.

“I really enjoyed coaching the Row to Grow program this year,” shares Ciara Stevenson, coach at the Delta Deas Rowing Club.

“The program grew from three athletes in 2024 to ten in 2025. It was exciting to introduce the kids to a new sport and watch their progress over three months—from their first experiences on ergs and in boats to completing challenging workouts. Each session brought new learning opportunities, such as switching between small boats and big boats, sweeping and sculling, working with new teammates, and refining drills. I am thrilled that so many of the kids want to continue rowing beyond the study, and I am looking forward to seeing them continue to grow as athletes and rowers.”

Parents of the participants watched their kids fall in love with the sport and find community in the process:

“I’ve never seen him start something and like have such a massive improvement in such a short period of time. But that was probably the most incredible part, like right away he was able to experience something by himself out there.”

Along with the sense of belonging that many of the participants mentioned, the project is working to build opportunities for kids with CP to have access to sport to promote physical activity, mirroring what RCA strives for in our current existing youth rowing programs.

During the interviews, a participant spoke about the study’s ability to increase their physical activity, “I really like being able to get out on the water and like being active, especially during like summer break when we don’t have school and I don’t walk to school all the time.”

The team behind this project believes that this study will be an ideal way to promote inclusion of children with disabilities. Learning to row is not easy for anyone, and that sense of meeting a new challenge can be equally as beneficial as the positive physical outcomes.

From the coaches to the athletes to all the people working to establish the program behind the scenes, everyone involved is hoping to find ways to make the initiative sustainable in Canadian rowing clubs.

Support Row to Grow HERE

All donations are managed through the BC Amateur Sport Fund and donors will automatically receive a tax receipt.