Archie Yabsley joined our L2R course in June 2025 and then threw himself into sessions with the social squad. As a promising rower with a visual impairment, he was encouraged to consider GB Adaptive Rowing and has been on the pathway to trials in November. We spoke to Archie about his journey so far.
How did you first get into rowing?
I have always valued being part of a team. I grew up playing rugby, but when I moved to London in 2024, I wanted to find a new team sport. A friend suggested that I might be good at rowing. I looked for a learn to row course and joined the waiting list for Poplar!
Why Poplar?
Location, location, location! It’s the closest club to where I live, but also once you’ve seen the views, why would you want to row anywhere else in London? The club also has great history and facilities.
Can you tell us a bit about the steps you took from Learn to Row into trialling?
Once I finished the course I settled into a routine of weekend sessions with the social squad. I was keen to progress, and they facilitated a lot of my early development. It was Jonny Dwan who suggested I contact the GB Adaptive Rowing Team, and I did! I had a call from GB in early April. At that stage it was mostly a case of matching criteria on the Talent ID programme: I was already rowing, the right height and age, and have a classifiable disability.
It was exciting that being visually impaired had given me an opportunity, rather than excluding me from one. It didn’t take long before I was hooked on the idea of preparing for GB Open Trials in November.
‘It was exciting that being visually impaired had given me an opportunity, rather than excluding me from one. It didn’t take long before I was hooked on the idea’
How has the process been, and what does your schedule look like?
It has been quite overwhelming! I’ve gone from knowing nothing about the sport to starting a process in which I could end up competing for GB. It requires a hell of a lot of commitment, as well as a lot of support from the club and people in your personal life. GB puts the onus on the athlete at this stage; they have been more of a guiding influence than a facilitator.
I’m doing 10-12 sessions a week, so training twice a day, six days a week. I’m focussing on getting even split of time on the erg, time on the water, weights, and cross training. The challenge is managing your energy throughout the week: not every session is hard, but I do need to make sure I eat and sleep enough!
What have you learnt so far, and what are the highlights?
I’ve certainly learnt a lot about rowing as a sport, from the culture and history to what makes good crews, how to get fit, and the kind of mindset you need. It’s really been an education. There’s also been a huge amount of introspection. From my perspective, there is very little extrinsic motivation to the whole endeavour; there is no pressure or expectation from my family or friends, no financial incentive, and little fame or glory. I’d defy most people in the sport to name all four members of Paris GB gold medal-winning PR3 mixed coxed four…
You ask yourself why am I doing this? My best answer is that I’m looking for an opportunity to work hard and become the best version of myself. Rowing is a medium for that. I’d like to think that finding and directing that intrinsic motivation will serve me well in all areas of life.
I have to say that the National Development Academy Camp in Nottingham in August was a high. It was a great atmosphere and environment. There were about 60 other academy athletes. We had beautiful weather and I got to spend pretty much all week in a boat, working on getting better.
Are there any rowers or athletes that you admire or look up to?
I’ve never really been one for idols, but I do think the people that I admire are the ones who have gone out of their way to give up their time to help me on this journey. I don’t think they’d like to be named, but individually each of them knows who they are and how much they have contributed.
Quick fire questions:
Best post-training snack?
Homemade cheesecake! I’m currently eating one a week.
Go-to erg soundtrack?
Indie bands with names like Moondoggy, Plums, Junkyard Cat, Ax and the Hatchetmen…the list is endless.
Best outing memory?
The best outing has to be subbing in for the men’s 8+ when they were training for HORR. I had a crazy 5am session with them after a couple of sweep sessions on the tank, so I didn’t quite feel prepared for a 9k race piece! Tower Bridge looked amazing though!
Thank you to Archie for answering our questions. We are excited to continue supporting him and wish him the best of luck for trials in November!
Follow our Instagram page to see more of his training with the racing squad.