Adam Hopes Grace Darling Connection Will Give Him The Edge At SkiffieWorlds
Eskmuthe rower Adam Wilson is training hard for SkiffieWorlds - and hopes his family connection to Victorian heroine Grace Darling will drive him on to glory.
Adam, who rows for Eskmuthe's under-19 men's and mixed crews, has been the focus of media attention this week after discovering the link to the famous Northumberland rescue story.
In 1838, Grace Darling, along with her lighthouse-keeper father, William, rowed to the rescue of nine shipwreck victims in a ferocious storm. The steamship Forfarshire had run aground on rocks off the Farne Islands, Northumberland. Grace and her father knew conditions were too rough for the lifeboat to set out from Seahouses, and decided to row their small coble across to help the survivors. Darling’s bravery saw her become a national heroine, winning the hearts of the nation as the story of the rescue spread internationally.
Grace Darling’s sister, Mary Darling, is Adam's three times great-grandmother. Grace died tragically young in October 1842, aged 26, from tuberculosis, with no direct descendants.
Adam said: “When I found out the connection to Grace Darling, I was amazed. I am very proud to be related to her. I had heard the story of Grace before, but didn’t make any connection that she was part of my family. I've always liked the sea, but when I started researching my family's connections to the sea, I gained a personal link. Now it's not just random history; it's my personal history.
“I think having Grace Darling as a relative and seafaring in my blood means I naturally enjoy rowing. Some of the older members of my family still have Darling as a middle name, but I don’t. In more modern times, everyone has completely forgotten the connection.”
Adam has already competed in a number of regattas for Eskmuthe, but is excited about taking part in his first world championships at Stranraer in July - which has attracted a record 79 clubs from as far afield as Australia, South Africa and the United States.
He said: “I'm really excited. I have competed in day regattas before, but this is bigger than anything I have done before. The beachfront at Stranraer will be quite a sight with all the boats lined up.”
Adam, who was interviewed live on Good Morning Scotland on Tuesday (17th June), has also seen his story appear in the Evening News, The National and The Herald.
He explained why he loves coastal rowing so much: “It's getting out on the water and that sense of flying through the waves. At the start of a race, you have a sense of anticipation, then a rush of adrenaline. There is pressure when you’re approaching the turn - if you screw it up it's a big thing. And at the end, when you are neck and neck with other boats, all you hear is row, row, row! But it is also about the camaraderie and the community feeling.
“I can’t wait to get to Stranraer for SkiffieWorlds to begin.”
