Pararowing

In 1913, rowing for individuals with disabilities was initiated by headmaster George Clifford Brown at Worcester College for the Blind in Great Britain.{{Cite web|url=https://worldrowing.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/AShortHistoryofPara-Rowing.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419131648/https://worldrowing.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/AShortHistoryofPara-Rowing.pdf|url-status=live|title=A Short History of Para-Rowing|archive-date=19 April 2022|publisher=FISA|access-date=20 October 2022}} Brown encouraged blind students to participate in particular sports in which they would be able to compete at an equal level to sighted players and do so without modifications. Other organizations dedicated to rehabilitating the blind, such as St. Dunstan's Hostel, started rowing clubs shortly afterwards in 1915. Competitive rowing with blind rowers first began in 1914 between Worcester College and the Old Boys in one race and Worcester College and Worcester Boy Scouts in another race the same year.

In October 1945, veterans from the United States Army, Navy, and Marines blinded during WWII entered into the Navy Day Regatta on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. Some consider this event as the catalyst for international interest of adaptive rowing.

{{Main|Adaptive rowing classification}}

Under World Rowing rules there are three categories for adaptive rowers:

;PR3 (previously LTA – Legs, Trunk, Arms) :Use of at least one leg, trunk and arms. Also for those with visual and intellectual impairments. Rowed with standard boats and sliding seats.

;PR2 (previously TA – Trunk and Arms) :Only use of trunk muscles. Boat has fixed seat.

;PR1 (previously AS – Arms and Shoulders) :Limited trunk control. Boat has fixed seat and rower is strapped at upper chest level to only allow shoulder and arm movements.

At FISA World Championships there are now 9{{cite web |title=Rules of Racing |url=http://www.worldrowing.com/mm//Document/General/General/13/08/90/FISArulebookEN2018finalweb3_Neutral.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007145544/http://www.worldrowing.com/mm//Document/General/General/13/08/90/FISArulebookEN2018finalweb3_Neutral.pdf |archive-date=7 October 2018 |publisher=FISA |access-date=31 January 2019 |date=January 2018}} boat events (standard nomenclature is used).

Racing was held over 1,000 m (rather than the standard 2,000 m), but from 2017 the distance was changed to the standard 2,000m.{{cite web|title=Summary of proposed changes to the FISA Rules of Racing, related Bye-Laws and Event Regulations |url=http://www.worldrowing.com/mm//Document/General/General/12/65/94/SummaryofproposedchangestotheRulesRegulations110117_Neutral.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170213164902/http://www.worldrowing.com/mm//Document/General/General/12/65/94/SummaryofproposedchangestotheRulesRegulations110117_Neutral.pdf|archive-date=13 February 2017|publisher=FISA|access-date=13 February 2017}} In mixed events half the crew must be male and other half female (coxswain may be of either gender and may be able bodied). Single shells for the PR1 category must have stabilising pontoons attached to the riggers.

Adaptive events were added to the World Rowing Championships in 2002 and took place at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China.

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Pararowing}}

• [http://www.worldrowing.com/rowing/para-rowing FISA Para-Rowing page]
• [http://www.paralympic.org/sport/rowing Adaptive Rowing on International Paralympic Committee website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20131023102308/http://rowingcanada.org/try-rowing/para-rowing Rowing Canada's Para-Rowing Page]
• [http://www.britishrowing.org/taking-part/adaptive British Rowing's (UK) Domestic Adaptive Rowing Page]
• [http://www.usrowing.org/DomesticRowing/AdaptiveRowing.aspx USRowing's Domestic Adaptive Rowing Page]

{{IPC-recognised paralympic sports}}

{{Paralympic Games Rowing}}

{{Rowing (sport)}}

Category:Rowing

Category:Paralympic sports

Category:Parasports