Noel Mobbs (left) from the Riverside Veterans Rowing and Recreational Club talks with Mike Rodsted, Pension and Welfare Officer at the YP Veterans and Community Centre.

“Dr Peter Furze, our visiting psychiatrist, has been on to us for a couple of years to get the rowing started up here and we have finally bitten the bullet and off we go,” Mike said.

“Peter specialises in psychiatric problems in veterans and believes people who are active and take part in an active sport live a lot longer than others who don’t.”

Dr Furze is also the Boat Captain at the Riverside Rowing Club and says Veterans Rowing has breathed life back into the Riverside Rowing Club in Adelaide and, more recently, into the Renmark Rowing Club.

“Mike Rodsted has seen what’s happened in Renmark and he can see the same thing happening in Wallaroo,” he said.

“There’s a good body of evidence to show something like five hours of good regular exercise a week is a powerful adjunct in the treatment of psychiatric problems like anxiety and depression,” he said. “And it is something people can do for themselves.

“I’ve been working with veterans for about 30 years and my observation is that people who do regular exercise do get better over time,” Dr Furze said.

“I think in the fullness of time if they can move beyond just being a Veterans Rowing Club and become a community rowing club it will be very powerful for the Copper Coast, particularly for young people,” Dr Furze said.  

“It’s all very exciting and I think everyone involved in rowing would love to see the Wallaroo Rowing Club get going again. I know our members here at Riverside are looking forward to coming up to a regatta in Wallaroo.”

Dr Furze says there is an enormous amount of goodwill from the South Australian rowing community to see the Copper Coast have a strong rowing club again.

“I have spoken to the South Australian Rowing Association and they’ve said they will support the affiliation of a new club and make sure that they are given financially advantageous terms.”

Mike Rodsted said rowing is a sport that has been missing from Wallaroo for the past 40 years and it will be very worthwhile for both veterans and the community if it was to start up again.

“They used to row out in the open sea and now with the advent of the marina we’ve got the perfect venue. It’s not as big as West Lakes or the Torrens but there’s plenty of still water,” Mike said.

“We’ve got three boats that have been donated to us, the Gallipoli, the Tobruk and the Kokoda. We’ve got all the gear to get started and I’ve spoken to people who were involved in the Wallaroo Rowing Club in its heyday and they are only too happy to get involved again.”

Mike said by the middle of next year, the club should have nine rowing boats in total, and there are plans afoot for the provision of boat storage and a boat shed.

The YPVCC invites all veterans and anyone who wants to be involved in rowing, regardless of age or gender, to contact Mike Rodsted on 0400 047 107.