Magnet doesn’t technically have a rowing team, but we have quite a few rowers who are from Magnet on the Charleston City Rowing Club.

I talked to Aiden Astle, a senior here at Magnet, about the team. They practice on the Ashley River, by Brittle bank Park downtown. Their practices usually consist of 5-20 minutes of getting together, deciding on how many boats to take out, and getting all ready to get on the water. Next, their workouts depend on the season. Usually they stay out on the water for about an hour and a half. During the fall, Aiden says they practice consists of longer, controlled pieces, because the races are usually 5k in length. However, during the spring, they practice more fast-paced racing pieces, and learn/practice the race start- which is starting on the water from a dead stop.

All these practices are really for the regattas, which usually are in Augusta, Jacksonville, and there have even been some as far up as Virginia. The whole team piles into a few vans and eat and stay together the night before, and meet up with the coaches for a “boat talk,” where the boats get together, they run down and talk about the course, and chat about what they need to work on and focus on. It’s essentially a final preparation for the race in the morning. The races start early, but Aiden mentions that there can be a lot of waiting around. After his race, he likes to drink chocolate milk and take a nap under the tent.

If any of this interests you, reach out! It’s a super fun sport and they need more members next year. Seniors on the team this year include Janice Park, Sophie White, and Aiden Astle, feel free to reach out to them if you have any questions!

Here is the flyer for Charleston City Rowing Club: