{"id":195744,"date":"2019-01-30T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-30T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/195744\/rowing-community-comes-together-to-overcome-tragedy\/"},"modified":"2019-02-04T14:53:10","modified_gmt":"2019-02-04T12:53:10","slug":"rowing-community-comes-together-to-overcome-tragedy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/sports-news\/2019\/01\/30\/rowing-community-comes-together-to-overcome-tragedy\/","title":{"rendered":"Rowing community comes together to overcome tragedy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rowing and Germiston High School fit comfortably in the same sentence, as the school has been a proud rowing school for decades.<\/p>\n

However, the school\u2019s rowing fraternity suffered a crushing blow last Thursday evening when the school\u2019s boathouse, which stored their boats and other equipment, was destroyed by an unforgiving storm.<\/p>

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This just over a week before a competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur rowers were practising as normal last Thursday when the coach on the water, Mosa Leballo, made the call to get them off the water and send them home, due to the approaching storm.<\/p>

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\u201cThank goodness he did or who knows what could have happened,\u201d Lebohang Mashigo, head rowing coach at Germiston High School, said when the GCN met with him at Germiston Lake, where the boathouse once stood.<\/p>\n

Mashigo was on his way home when he received the tragic news about the boathouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cI received a call from a Victoria Lake Club (VLC) member who told me our boathouse had collapsed and bits and pieces of our boats had been found on the other side of the train tracks,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

Mashigo headed back to the lake with Leballo to assess the damage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got to the lake as quickly as we could,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile driving we questioned if the damage was being over-exaggerated or if it was maybe some sort of prank.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, when Mashigo received a second call from another VLC member he realised that it wasn\u2019t a joke.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ran to the shed as soon as we arrived at the lake, rain and all, and just burst into tears when I saw the damage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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Damage and debris left behind after last Thursday\u2019s storm at the Germiston Lake.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After shedding a few tears Mashigo found hope.<\/p>\n

ALSO READ:\u00a0Update: Rowing South Africa speaks following Germiston Lake tragedy<\/a><\/h4>\n

\u201cThis is not the first time we have had to overcome adversity and I knew we would be able to do it again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In total, the school lost five skulls and three doubles, these boats are beyond repair.<\/p>\n

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A boat was snapped in half during the storm.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While four skulls, a double and a quad were damaged, but are repairable.<\/p>\n

True to Mashigo\u2019s statement, the school has already started to find its feet, once again, with the help of the rowing community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been overwhelmed with the support we\u2019ve received,\u201d Mashigo explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have received money pledges from King Edward School and Eastern Cape Rowing Association.<\/p>\n

\u201cSt Benedict\u2019s Catholic School for Boys is planning a fund-raiser for us, while St Andrew\u2019s School for Girls and St Stithians College for Girls are lending us boats.<\/p>\n

\u201cVLC has supported us in any way they can.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are just too many people and schools to thank \u2013 it is overwhelming.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven the University of Johannesburg helped by allowing us to store our boats in their shed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though the loss is still very real for the school, which has 23 rowers currently, the tragedy has shown the close bond the rowing community shares.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone has just come together and shown their support and that has helped us to deal with our loss because we know we are not alone,\u201d Mashigo said.<\/p>\n

If the community or local businesses want to help they can contact Mashigo on 062 337 5162 or send him an email at mashigolp@gmail.com or visit Germiston High School Rowing\u2019s Facebook page (www.facebook.com\/GHSRowing\/).<\/p>\n