2021 Concept 2 Fall Team Challenge - Ailish Sheehan All Stars

The 2021 Concept 2 Fall Team Challenge was a challenge where each team completed as many meters as they could collectively between 12:00 a.m. September 15 and 11:59 p.m. October 15. Within a team, each team member individually tried to reach either 100,000 meters or 200,000 meters.

The stats for the 2021 Challenge are quite impressive:

841 Teams took part
8467 Competitors from around the world entered the Challenge
and they rowed a total distance of 943,239,748 meters.

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One of the teams was the ‘Ailish Sheehan All Stars‘.

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The Ailish Sheehan All Stars Team was created by Austin Milne as a tribute and in loving memory of his cousin Ailish Sheenan who passed away so young and so tragically following an accident after winning Bronze at the 2016 FISU World University Championships for Rowing in Poznan, Poland. She was only 23.

I would like to thank Austin for having me in his Team and a special thank you to my rowing partners Daniel Kendall and Daphne Scott for motivation and inspiration.

Daniel is a true inspiration: in this challenge Daniel clocked 600,000m (600 Kms) and in the process he got 19 million rowing meters under his belt. Remarkable!

The challenge was done over a 30-day period. At the start of week 2, I got a knee injury which left me grounded for 8 days. Being out of the game for 8 days out of 30 is a big deal. Daphne came in to my rescue with the right advice and at the right time: she showed me a couple of techniques I was able to do on my own to reduce the inflammation at a faster than the usual rate.

Daphne is involved in track and field for Masters. She does the erg (indoor rowing), sprints (50m – 400m) plus multi-events with throws jumps and hurdles. Besides being a Lecturer at a University near Seattle, Daphne is actively involved in Sport.

I recovered pretty fast and again a BIG THANK YOU to Daphne and to Daniel. I did my 137,194m (137K).

Our team (the Ailish Sheehan All Stars Team) came 73 out of a total of 841 teams. The memory of Ailish Sheenan lives on – well done to all!

Ailish’s friends at the University of London Boat Club, Lottie Bruce and Georgia Statham, remember her.

On Friday, 9 September 2016, Ailish Sheehan sadly passed away in Poland following a tragic accident after the culmination of the 2016 FISU World University Championships for Rowing in Poznan, Poland on Sunday, 4 September.

Trying to put Ailish down on paper is quite simply impossible. Nothing can be said that would express the unfathomable wonderful person she was and will forever be remembered.

Ailish showed us how to be a true athlete. She helped us to expect more of ourselves, to chase our dreams unapologetically but most importantly, to enjoy the ride along the way. One could feel her genuine happiness when those around her achieved their goals and we know how unbelievably proud everyone around her was when she achieved hers; winning Womens’ Henley Regatta senior fours, winning numerous BUCS medals – including becoming BUCS indoor champion – and a bronze medal at the University World Games this summer.

Prior to rowing at the University of London Boat Club, Ailish learnt to row at St. Michael’s Rowing Club in Limerick before attending Notre Dame University in the United States, representing Ireland at the U23 World Championships in 2013.

Ailish has undeniably left a strong legacy at the University of London Boat Club. Since joining the club in September 2015, she was a formidable athlete and the core of our team; all athletes aspired to be like her. The commitment not only to her own training but to the team was inspiring, she was a role model as well as a team mate.

There was nothing quite like racing in a boat with Ailish; it meant it was going to do something special.

Above all, it has to be said, that Ailish’s flame burned too bright for it ever to be extinguished, her laugh far too loud for it ever to go silent, and was far too loved to ever leave our hearts.

Source: Obituary – Ailish Sheehan