Time on her side. Kaschula steps aside for the World Rowing Indoor Championships

A verandah in Zimbabwe is not the first place you’d expect to find an indoor rower. But it’s there and not just any erg. Owned by Danielle Kaschula this erg has seen a whole lot of records being broken and its owner is still a teenager.

Kaschula first got a taste for indoor rowing when she was 12 and had already started on-water rowing. Her training included tests on the erg. She remembers her first test.

“It was a 1000m trial and it was my first time on an erg. I remember it so vividly because that was when I was two seconds off the world record for that distance in my age group. I remember it being so hard and I felt like dying. But I felt accomplished and proud.”

Then 2020 changed everything. With the Covid-19 Pandemic online indoor rowing competitions blossomed and Kaschula started racing online.

Kaschula’s coach realised her potential on the indoor rower and encouraged her to go after some world records. It was not difficult to convince Kaschula.

“I absolutely love indoor rowing. I love the thrill of watching my erg screen count down to the start. I love watching the big screen with all the other competitors. I love how flexible indoor rowing can be because you can do it online.”

Between March and June 2020 Kaschula set five Concept2 world records. For women 12 and under the records included 1000m (3:25.5), 500m (1:39.3), 100m (0:17.5), 4 minutes (1099m) and 1 minute (331m). Four of these records still stand.

Indoor rowing is part of Kaschula’s training programme but she admits she gets bored quickly, “especially for the longer distances.” So she added in weight training to make it more entertaining. She also trains on the water and says the craziest workout she ever did was 10 by 1000m with 2 minute rest, on the water.

“It probably doesn’t sound that hard but when I say I struggled, I really did struggle.”

Last year Kaschula competed in the World Rowing Indoor Championships. The event ended up being virtual and, from her home base, on the verandah, Kaschula finished first in the under-19 500m with a time of 1:31. She raced to a credible seventh in the 2000 metres.

All set to race at this year’s World Rowing Indoor Championships, unfortunately Kaschula broke her fingers playing basketball before qualifying.

“I really wish I was competing this year in the World Rowing Indoor Championships. I feel really devastated that I couldn’t,” says Kaschula.

Watch out next year!