Ian Bardrick – Retirement

Ian Bardick – retirement of a great servant to rowing

It is with some sadness that we post this announcement that Ian is retiring from his role as Coach Educator having reached the splendid age of 80.

Ian has been a fixture in the coaching firmament, both at Peterborough and across the Region for as long as I can remember and he will be very much missed. I am sure that we will see him at events still.

Please do post any comments or recollections below this story.

Ian writes of his rowing journey:

“I began rowing at Walbrook in 1969 which at that time was funded by BP and included training on the Etang de Berre and once on the Old Port Marseilles. Rowed at Durham starting in 1974 before moving to Peterborough in 1979 which was where I began coaching. 

Under Kes’s Stapleton’s guidance I spent a great deal of time converting Juniors to rowing with flat wrists from the habits picked up during learn to row.

With Kes’s encouragement I attended various ARA courses and qualified as an Assessor.  I became Chair of the ERRC Coach Educators on the retirement of the much missed Vicky Parry.

Other than Kes I owe a great deal to Sara Smith (nee Potter) my most successful athlete who as a result of her number of wins was responsible for my receiving Coach of the Year at Peterborough and also to the crew from RAF Wittering who added a great deal of fun as well as dedication.

In 2015 I received a BR Lifetime Achievement Award.

My first role at Peterborough City was as a novices’ coach.  Fairly soon after and for 18 years I became Regatta Treasurer.

I have a Bronze coaching award and became a Level 2 assessor.  A role which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I  became the Club’s adaptive rowing coach around 2019.

Adaptive Rowing at Peterborough started at about the same time as the U3A approached the Club. 

 As an adaptive coach I took a PR3AK rower from absolute beginner to joining the Para Squad at Caversham, (PR3 AK arms, body and prosthetic on one leg.)

 I initiated U3A University of the 3rd Age rowing. Starting one morning a week then on two mornings. I coached them and oversaw their use of the Club.

The U3A members were amenable to my simultaneous use of the Club for adaptive rowers. 

Junior Adaptive rowers were mostly on the autistic spectrum and were initially coached by me. Catherine Morris gave me invaluable guidance..

Now they are much more likely to be members of the Junior Squad. Early on I  coached the few who were not able to fit in the Junior Squad as it was at that time.

One athlete I coached for some years in addition to being on the autistic spectrum had a diagnosis of severe learning difficulties.  He became a sufficiently proficient once in a boat to enter regattas for example at PCRC, Cambridge Autumn, and Bedford amongst others. He won Gold in his class at BRIC

With the exception of visually impaired rowers, the senior adaptive rowers for the most part enjoyed rowing for a short time but moved on before becoming full members of the Club.  

The U3A rowers who initially rowed under the initial arrangements with the U3A all became full members of the Club. 

One of the most notable rowers to have come through Tuesday and Thursday morning sessions is Kate Lindgren.  Kate is registered blind. Kate was initially coached by Alan Crossland and Barry Clarkson and is now coached by /works with Peter Forrest.  Kate has become a coach and is with Peter a founder member of Row The Rhythm.