CAMPBELL FOCUSED FOR SUCCESSFUL SEASON

by Rebecca Lee - 29.06.09

After an impressive start to their World Cup campaign in Spain last month, the British Rowing squad will be hoping to continue its summer success as they compete at the Henley Royal Regatta, which starts today (Wednesday).

Single scull rower Alan Campbell is hoping to build on his fight back from injury to sustain his strong start to the season, combining support from British Rowing, the English Institute of Sport (EIS) and the Olympic Medical Institute (OMI) to ensure every aspect of his training helps him progress.

After overcoming an operation on an infection in his leg a year ago, Campbell committed himself to an intense rehabilitation programme, requiring physiotherapy, strength and conditioning, physiology and medical support to prepare him for the rigours of competing at the highest level – the Olympic Games.

“When I had the operation on my knee the surgeon said competing in the Olympics was almost an impossibility” Campbell told eis2win.co.uk earlier this year.

“The EIS supported me right through and to make the A final at the Olympics was almost like a gold medal in itself. I received gold medal standard treatment and I really wouldn’t have even been at the Olympics without the EIS” he added.

Seeing EIS Physiotherapist Lisa Kerry up to seven days a week whilst on his rehabilitation programme highlighted areas of training which Campbell needed to get back to form, with some of these factors being incorporated into his programme now he has recovered.

“The rehabilitation work done prior to the Games highlighted areas which Alan could work on to help with injury prevention going forward” explains Kerry.

“Alan drove his training programme forward with his coaching, S&C and medical team and alongside tests done at the OMI to distinguish the power difference between his legs, the team around him were able to develop an effective programme covering all areas of his rehab and training.

“In order to challenge Alan’s general athleticism and agility, we incorporated multi-directional training as well as linear exercises into his program. He enjoyed this challenge and was keen to continue this work during the autumn” she adds.

After focusing on getting the right strength and power balance back into his legs in time for the Games last year, since retuning he has been working hard to progress even further.

“The initial target was to finish up balancing his leg strength imbalance” says EIS Strength & Conditioning Coach David Young. “This was mainly evident in his strength endurance, which is particularly important for a sport like rowing.

“In addition to his leg imbalance, Alan wanted to take his strength and power to new levels. For this, he completed extra strength sessions and placed extra focus on his gym based work. Alan has improved a lot on this area and has achieved personal bests in most of his strength based lifts and hopefully this will transfer to the boat as the competition season continues” he adds.

Physiology support also underpinned Campbell’s return to form leading into the Games, with sessions in the chamber at Bisham delivering altitude training under GB Rowing Physiology with technical support from EIS’s Will George.

GB Rowing Performance Director David Tanner CBE said: “Getting Alan to the start line in Beijing was a truly significant achievement made possible by a team of professionals from several organisations working together in tandem. For Alan then to make the A Final was testament to that teamwork and Alan’s own determination and strength of character – a great story with a happy ending.”

For more information about the GB Rowing squad, please visit the ARA website here

Photography © Getty Images