24-Hour Row Raises the Bar for Gotcha4Life

John XXIII College students came together for an incredible 24-hour rowing challenge in support of Gotcha4Life, helping raise awareness and funds for an organisation committed to building mental fitness through connection.

From 12pm Thursday 24 September to 12pm Friday 25 September, students kept the rowing machine moving for 24 hours straight, with residents jumping in throughout the day and night to compete for individual prizes and valuable Corridor Cup points.

The event brought plenty of energy, friendly competition and community spirit, with students embracing the challenge and getting behind an important cause.

Student leadership in action

The success of the 24-Hour Row was driven by student initiative, with Scarlett Edyvean taking the lead in bringing the event to life and encouraging the wider College community to get involved.

Deputy Head of College Dee Marrapodi praised Scarlett's leadership and the way she brought people together around the initiative.

“What stood out to me most was the way you created an opportunity for people to get involved in different ways: rowing, cheering each other on, donating and simply being part of something that mattered. That is the kind of leadership and community-building that makes a real difference at College.”

Dee also acknowledged the time, energy and care Scarlett put into the event, saying it was wonderful to see the College community get behind her and support such an important cause.

“Scarlett should be very proud of the contribution she has made,” Dee said.

Celebrating our 24-Hour Row champions

There were plenty of individual achievements across the 24 hours, including some impressive efforts on the rower.

Fastest 500m – Men

Will Turnbull – A1

Ben Fairbrother – B2

Louis Ross – A2

James Gray – A2

Sachin Kellet – B3

Fastest 500m – Women

Jaz Bull – B1

Julia Burge – B1

Ellie Austin – A2

Eva Kenwood – A3

Nat Smyth – B3

Longest Time Overall

1. Ben Fairbrother – 2.5 hours – B2

2. Matt Callaghan – 2.25 hours – B2

3. Sachin Kellet – 2 hours – B3

Will Barnett, James Collier, James Ritchie & Will Egger – 1.5 hours each

Longest Distance in 15 Minutes – Men

Louis Ross – 4,216m

Louis Ross – 4,097m

Will Barnett – 4,032m

Oliver Jurcevic – 3,954m

Will Barnett – 3,937m

Oscar McMillan – 3,932m

James Collier – 3,889m

Longest Distance in 15 Minutes – Women

Julia Burge – 3,466m

Holly Alder – 3,450m

Sofia Paris – 3,442m

Maddie Griffiths – 3,390m

Ava Ward – 3,388m

Sophie Paton – 3,303m

Liv Larcombe – 3,205m

Five students also completed an impressive full hour consecutively: Marcus Warner, James Collier, Will Egger, Maddie Griffiths and Hugh McGrath.

B2 takes out the Corridor Cup points

The 24-Hour Row also provided plenty of opportunity for corridors to get involved, with participation points contributing to the overall Corridor Cup standings.

Participation Points

B3 – 224 points

B2 – 195 points

B1 – 183 points

A2 – 159 points

A1 – 125 points

A3 – 92 points

When all points were tallied, B2 finished on top with 351 points, narrowly ahead of B3 on 348.

Overall Corridor Cup Points

B2 – 351 points

B3 – 348 points

B1 – 307 points

A2 – 265 points

A1 – 187 points

A3 – 106 points

A huge congratulations to everyone who took part, whether they rowed for a few minutes or took on a much longer stint. The enthusiasm and participation throughout the 24 hours demonstrated the strength of the Johns community, all while supporting the important work of Gotcha4Life.