Elementary School Canadian Champions

HERSHEY CENTRE, MISSISSAUGA, Feb. 6, 2011 – On Sunday, February 6th, local students
from Burford District and Elgin Ave. and West Lynn elementary schools, from local high schools
and some who are university rowers competed in the Canadian Indoor Rowing Championships.
Across Canada on the same day, 1000's of rowers of all abilities race in five Canadian cities on
Concept 2 Ergometers, or indoor rowing machines. Toronto is the host city of the Ontario site and
is the only site with Youth categories. Over 60 local students participated in the event, which was
open to all students from 7 to 90. This year nearly 900 athletes competed for honours in their age
category, including the Canadian National Team. For more information visit the web site at http://
www.cdnindoorrowing.org.

The local medalists from each event are:

The local medalists from each event are:

Congratulations to all the rowers. Of the 45 rowers for Elgin, we had 32 Personal Best Times at this
event. Grand Erie elementary and secondary students brought home 22 medals, 8 Gold.

The next event for local rowers is the Silver Lake Elementary Ergatta on Saturday, March 5, 2011.
That event is open to all students in grades 2 to 8 and has a limited registration. Hopefully we will

see a lot of these medalists at the Silver Lake EE. This event is hosted by the Silver Lake Rowing
Club. The Elementary Ergatta is at the clubhouse, upstairs at the Silver Lake Market in Port Dover.
The Market is open each Saturday morning, and will be open during the races.

Physical activity plays an important role in the optimum growth and health of our children. In the
latest Student Health Survey, conducted jointly by the Haldimand Norfolk Health Unit and the Brant
County Health Unit, 95% of our students did not meet the daily requirements for 90 minutes of
physical activity.

Local elementary schools and businesses are partnering with the Silver Lake Rowing Club to make
indoor rowing machines available in local elementary schools to promote fitness and the sport of
rowing amongst our students. The creation of an In-school Erg Program will help to encourage local
children to build physical activity into their daily routine, creating a pattern that may stay with them
for the rest of their lives. The program will also introduce local students to the sport of rowing for
recreation and competition. Over the past 10 years, a number of local youth have excelled in rowing;
both nationally and internationally.

The Silver Lake Rowing Club was established in 1999 to promote the sport of rowing
across Norfolk and Haldimand.

To find out more about the Elementary Erg program, contact Rick McCleary, 519-449-
2457, or Dave Wilson 519-426-4628.

To find out more about the Silver Lake Rowing Club and high school rowing programs,
contact Jim Dover, 519-426-5677 or jimdover@silverlakerowingclub.com (President)
or visit our web site at: www.silverlakerowingclub.com.

- More -

EVENT BACKGROUNDER

No water, no oars.... but lots of sweat, grunting and cheering. The
Canadian Indoor Rowing Championships, now in its 25th year held in
Toronto is annual winter event with an enthusiastic following.

The event attracts rowers and paddlers from elementary school athletes
to Olympic medalists from Ontario, Quebec, New York and Michigan.
This competition is a prime stop to test winter training progress for
rowers getting ready for the next season of on-the-water racing.

"One of the unique aspects of this event is the opportunity for younger
club-level athletes to row side by side, shoulder to shoulder, testing their
stamina against Canada's best Olympians", says Susan Kitchen, Regatta
Chair. "It brings out the best in all and is a fun off-season gathering."

From November to February, temperatures are dropping, but inside
arenas, clubhouses, boathouses and gyms across the U.S. and Canada,
things are heating up. At races everywhere from Dartmouth to Victoria,
Baltimore to Long Beach; thousands of athletes will test their endurance
in hopes of winning a medal, achieving a world record or just beating
their personal best on Concept2 Indoor Rowers.

The Concept2 Indoor Rowing machine, or ergometer or "erg" is an

accepted standard equipment for testing and comparing rowers
performances all over the world. A little company with a big reputation
for quality has its factory in Vermont, U.S.A. The company supports and
sponsors the racing circuit shipping new ergs everywhere. CIRC sets up a
total of 70 ergs and uses the Concept 2 Race system to host its race.

The indoor rowing regatta season peaks in Boston in mid-February with
the mother of all races: the World Indoor Rowing Championships—a.k.a.
the C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints.

The racing is real as spectators get to see the rowers pull and outpull
their competitors in this unique setting. The ergometers are manufactured
all the same and allow for side by side racing emulating the on-the-water
lane format. Enhanced computer monitors indicate the rowers progress
graphically with little boats moving across a sea of blue as rowers pull
their way down the course.