CrossFit Weddington’s Tenth Annual 24-Hour Rowathon Kicks Off on Veterans Day with a World Record Attempt
Ten years ago, Cory Worf put together CrossFit Weddington’s first-ever 24-hour Rowathon with the intention of raising funds to assist a family friend as their child battled cancer.
Ten years and 216 hours of rowing later, Worf and his gym still come together every year to enjoy some time on the rower with friends and give back to the community. This year the event is taking place on Veterans Day and the 24-hour clock starts at 6 PM on November 9.
One big thing: As they celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Rowathon, Worf and team are not just looking to row 24 hours, they’re looking to set a world record.
- During the Rowathon, one of the 28 rowers will be used to try to set the Women’s Small Group World Record (40-49 Heavyweight) on the Concept2 Indoor Rower.
The details: 44-year-old Jordan Falcone has been competing in indoor rowing for seven years now and currently holds the gold medal for the Crash-B Sprints Indoor Rowing World Championships.
- This year, she assembled a group of Masters women, some of whom she had met in her travels through indoor rowing and others who have never even attempted a rowing challenge of this nature.
- Between the ten of them, the ladies will attempt to row as many continuous meters as they can in a 24-hour window
- The team is comprised of Falcone, her sister-in-law, Megan Falcone, Becky Rogers, Lori MacDougall, Johnny Lester, Anji Paumier, Sara Ryberg, Tricia Castellan, Christa Valentine, and Andrea Hildabrand.
What they’re saying: For Falcone, this world record attempt is just one of the many incredible opportunities that indoor rowing has provided her with.
- “If you asked me growing up if I would have a world record, I would have laughed at you,” said Falcone adding that she was not an athlete growing up.
- “I think it’s really neat to pull these women together who have different backgrounds and say let’s take this challenge on together,” she continued.
Beyond the records: Beyond the competition or the fundraiser, gym owner Cory Worf believes that the Rowathon is one of the foundational tenets of the CrossFit Weddington community.
- “For me, it’s not about the amount of money, it’s the event itself because the event is super fun,” said Worf.
- “Everybody comes and hangs out and people from all around the area and doing something and getting people together to do something different,” he continued.
- “As you become an older gym it’s hard to keep that social aspect of it,” Worf noted, adding that this event was one of the few that truly brought everyone at his gym back together every year.
- “The goal is always to make more,” he said referring to the fundraiser. But my concern isn’t as much as how much as much as the quality of the event,” he added.
- This year, Worf has added to the event to create even more ways for people to participate.
- Athletes can row for 30-minute time slots, put together a “party boat” with friends for two or four consecutive hours of rowing, or participate in a C2 triathlon, where teams of four attempt max meters on the ski erg, bike erg, and rower in 30 minutes.
This year, the gym will continue to work to raise funds for the Changing Lives Together Foundation, an organization that works to provide opportunities such as college scholarships or experiences to children with life-changing medical circumstances.
The big picture: While it’s only 24 hours, for Worf and Falcone, it’s so much more than that. It’s an opportunity to bring the community back together under one common mission and it’s an opportunity to give 10 women the chance to do something incredible.
- “We really started it because anyone can row and it’s been neat to see it grow over the years and the different challenges people are willing to take on,” said Falcone.
- “For me, it’s a very special place in my heart,” she concluded.
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