After 72 consecutive hours on a rowing machine, the Western Mustangs Women’s Varsity Team has set a new world record. Starting at noon Thursday, they wrapped up the event Sunday, with a big celebration at the finish. “I felt so surreal and like hasn’t fully clicked in yet,” said Kira Mels-Williams, the team’s president and captain of the heavy women’s team. “I still haven’t realized that it’s a real thing. I should because it’s been 72 hours, so it should have clicked in by now, but it just hasn’t yet.” The ‘Row to Grow Fundraiser’ was a challenge to be the first team of 10 women ever to row 1,000,000 non-stop metres on one row-erg. “I can’t even really fathom the words for it,” said Kya Mason-Wetherill, the Mustangs’ lead organizer of the event. “I’m so lucky to have my team. We wouldn’t be able to do it without any of them and just we’re so excited. It’s been a long haul.” The team set up a live stream which is required for the record. Some of the other requirements include the flywheel on the machine needs to keep moving the entire time. They would switch out rowers without stopping during the 72-hour run. “There have been larger teams that have done it including a mixed team of 51 people that did it,” said Mason-Wetherill. “A small team is 10 people or less, so no small team of women has ever attempted this.” They managed to raise thousands of dollars, splitting it between four local charities which support their values. The four charities are Tree Canada, Alzheimer Society Canda, the London and Middlesex Humane Society and Anova Women’s Shelter in London. “Doing it for a good cause is definitely getting us through the hard hours,” said Mason-Wetherill. This is the second time a Western team has attempted this record. “Ten years ago, we had a group of ten guys from a men’s team do it,” said Matt Waddell, the Mustangs’ women’s head coach. “The women had a really solid winter this year. They put in a lot of good training together, and they just wanted to find a way to celebrate that and make it kind of a memorable end of the winter season,” he said. After a second-place finish at Nationals last year, and 11 returning rowers, the Mustangs have high expectations for the water season this summer and fall. They have been making fitness improvements and had confidence at an all-time high heading into this challenge. “This is really special and really inspirational,” added Waddell. “Anytime you can set a world record is a pretty special moment.” The challenge was a grind, with the women underestimating the stretches in the middle of the night. When the counter hit zero after 1,000,000 metres, the Mustangs let out a cheer. “It’s every possible emotion, we’re just exhausted,” said Mason-Wetherill. “I’m so grateful, so excited, so proud of ourselves and so proud of each other. It’s kind of the craziest feeling in the world and having a world record. So many dreams colliding. and this specific project has been so long in the making that it’s surreal it’s over.”
