Monday's group run was a slightly unusual one, as we were celebrating a special occasion. It would have been lovely for our GoodGymmers to come out for my birthday, but it wasn’t just mine being celebrated on the 18th of July, as GoodGym Richmond was also celebrating its anniversary - seven years since the first group run back in 2016.

A lot has changed in seven years - not one member of the group out tonight were part of that inaugural doing good and getting fit in Richmond, but everyone who was out tonight was special and just as important to GoodGym as the gang of 64 who came along to that first session in the summer of 2016. Some things have stayed the same though - that first week, they ran along the riverside to bash some Himalayan balsam (and that same plant is still causing drama for us these days!!).

Everything else aside, what a fantastic achievement. Liz shared with us some of the milestones over the past seven years… 5,409 good deeds done by 509 different runners. She counted the group runs, the missions, the milestones. Clearly seven great years, and although people have been and gone, the ethos remains the same.

Definitely something to celebrate - and that, was indeed the plan for tonight.

We ran the quick way along the riverside to the Petersham Sea Scouts - a group we know well. However tonight we weren’t helping weed or move logs or scrub at any barnacles! Russell and his team at the Sea Scouts wanted to thank us - and tonight we were going out on a boat, and rowing down to the pub!

Russell briefed the sixteen excited GoodGymmers, making sure we all had an appropriate life jacket and took us down to the riverside to get the boats red-y. It was fantastic to see the regatta on the water, as we had spent several weeks in the darkest depths of winter helping clean and prepare ‘Valtentin’ for a summer on the seas, and she certainly looked the part.

We split into three groups to crew each of the three boats, coxed by the Sea Scout Leaders. A quick lesson on boat anatomy and we were ready to star-board and de-port. Rowing is all about team work, strength, coordination and not getting distracted by ducks or paddleboarders. Despite a few oar clashes, several crab catches and a lot of patience from the coxes, all three boats successfully made it up the Thames, round Eel Pie Island and to the beach outside the White Swan pub, where we docked and rocked.

Once we all had a pint in hand, we gave a cheers to the Sea Scouts and to the next seven years of GoodGym Richmond, and watched the sunset from the pub terrace over the water.

The evening was a real splash, and it was soon time to head back home, before it got too dark. There was a slight reshuffle on the boats, as we were down two crew members, the current helped up back to Petersham in no time, and the boats were soon back on dry land.

Thank you so much to Russell and his team for taking us out - it was an oar-some evening. Here’s to the next seven years and many more good deeds.