We are incredibly fortunate to have a large number of active volunteer coaches in our club, many of whom have extensive experience gained from rowing or coxing at national and international level. Meet a few below, although some may look a bit different!
Are you interested in Coaching at Exeter RC? If you’d like to help us by coaching or volunteering our Junior Squad please do get in touch.
- Donald Fraser
- Tim Spencer
- Paul Wilson
- Charles Cooper
- Mike Johnson
Tim Spencer – Junior coach
Circa 1990
My “claims to fame” are being part of the crew that featured on BBC TV coverage in the Eights Head on the Thames, and doing a weekly report in the local paper, along with a spell doing a ten minute feature on ERC most Saturdays on local radio! Years on, I started helping with a bit of
coaching in an attempt to give back to the sport I have enjoyed so much! Qualified as a coach in 1992.
My aims in coaching are to make rowing as accessible to as many people as possible by helping to raise the profile of the club in Exeter, and for all those new rowers to enjoy the sport as much as I do!”
Paul Wilson – Junior coach
Can you spot Paul?
“I first took up rowing at school in February 1967! I spent half an hour in our outdoor rowing tank and this was followed by an outing sat in the two seat of an eight. After rowing all through the summer term, I first joined ERC in July of that year. My first race for the Club was in the J18 fours at Torquay Regatta where for some reason we ended up being disqualified – I never knew why!
In my second year of rowing at school, I was fortunate enough to secure a seat in the School First Eight and the highlight of that was to compete in the Princess Elizabeth Cup at Henley Royal Regatta. On leaving school I rowed for Club commuting between home and Portsmouth where I was doing a degree. In 1970 I was a member of the crew that won the first regatta for the club away from WEARA when we won the Novice Fours at Monmouth Regatta.
On completing my degree, I was asked to take up the position of Club Captain in the autumn of 1974. This came as a complete surprise but it was a role I fulfilled for fours years. In 1979 I was asked to take over as Club Chairman and this is a position I have held at various times for 25 years! I have also been Club President twice.
I completed the Bronze level Coaching course in 1975 and since than I have coached at all levels in the Club at various times. My early regular coaching was focussed mainly on the men’s and women’s novice squads where we had a lot of success, particularly with the women. Following that, I was asked to take on the Club’s Learn to Row programme and I organised and ran some seventeen courses with varying degrees of success. With a change of emphasis, I joined the team to help with coaching our very successful Junior Squad which is where I am now.”
Donald Fraser – Junior coach
Don started rowing at 13 years old at Shiplake College in 1978. He rowed for GB as a junior, winning a Silver medal at the World Championships 1983. Don rowed for London Rowing Club and Leander Rowing Club 1987-1994. He coached at London Rowing Club 1992/3 and moved to Devon in 1993 and coached at Exeter University Boat Club for 3 years 1995-1998. Don started coaching at Exeter Rowing Club in 1999 and was club Captain at ERC for 3 years 2001-2003. Don became a junior coach at ERC in 2021.
“I have been in and around rowing most of my life and I think it’s safe to say it’s shaped who I am. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been coached by some of the best coaches in the world. The sport and the people in it have helped me through good times and bad, helped open doors and get me jobs, and places to live, it’s given me a network of friends all over the world and even given me my family so it goes without saying, I think it’s the best sport in the world and if I can pass just a little of what it’s taught me, then I will feel I’ve done my job.”
Mike Johnson – Junior Coach
I started my rowing career at Exeter Rowing Club later than most at the age of 30, being coached by a number of the other faces you see in the Junior coaches group! Throughout the years at Exeter I won the men’s Snr A WEARA Championship and competed nationally at the Senior men’s level racing at Pairs, 4’s & 8’s Head of the River and Henley. After a few years break I am now back as a British Rowing Level 2 qualified coach and racing with the Exeter Masters Sculling group, most recently in a quad at the 8’s Head of the River”
Charles Cooper – Junior Coach
Charles rowed in the 1st VIII at both Southampton University and Exeter University, with additional coaching from Bill Mason (GB coach) at Imperial College, competed at HoRR and Henley, and won a Silver Medal in 4- at BUCS.