Six junior rowers from Seville, Spain are competing with the Peterborough Rowing Club (PRC) this summer.

The athletes arrived to Peterborough on June 28 and are scheduled to be here for one month and three weeks. This exchange program was organized by Horacio Tendilla, PRC head coach, and his connections to the athletes’ home club in Seville, Club Nautico de Seville.

Tendilla is originally from Mexico, having been with PRC for about one year, and has a past teammate who moved to Seville; it was through this contact that he was connected with Club Nautico de Seville.

Due to extreme heat and weather conditions in Seville, the rowers typically take the summer season off, says PRC President Brian Love.

“They are glad to be able to come to Canada” for two reasons, says Love. “One, to have the experience, and second, to be able to continue to row.”

Love feels that this trip goes beyond just rowing for the six junior rowers. They are also here to experience Canada, improve their English-speaking skills, and have a fun trip. Only a few days after their arrival in Peterborough, the rowers competed in their first event with PRC: the Dominion Day Regatta in Toronto.

“They are not a bunch of rowers from Seville who are competing as rowers from Seville,” says Love. “They are mixed in with all of our boats, they are part of the Peterborough Rowing Club.”

One of the rowers from Seville, 17-year-old Javier Carducci Prior, explains what their time here is going to look like.

“We are going to row two regattas,” says Carducci. “The last one is the Henley,” which Carducci says is the most important and the one they are looking forward to most.

The Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, held in St. Catharines, Ontario from Aug. 6-13, will be the final competition for the athletes before returning to Seville.

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