What an awesome night with the BRF and Sir Steve Redgrave. Interesting to hear about his very humble beginnings in the sport, what sport can mean for people, his views on Russian doping, and a few more topics. Sir Steve tells you to support the BRF!

Many thanks to Chuck Pieper, who not only invited Sir Steve to speak, but also did the leg work to get the space at CRI and support the open bar.

Packed house on Sunday night when most of the river's rowing population was either in St. Catharines or heading that way.

Probably the best moment of the night was when Jenny (coxswain of the paralympic LTA4+) asked Steve about distractions at the games. Steve launched into a very long discussion on the distractions of the food halls, on the arcade games at the LA games, email at the Barcelona games, etc. Then he looks straight at Jenny, and goes "and you shouldn't let any of that get in the way. You should focus on what you trained for. On what you came here to do. On ... winning the SILVER medal". Delivered with the same intensity and passion as the rest of the speech, but he's still a Brit through and through. Jenny was not quite amused, but had a good laugh about it and all the LTA4+ athletes present posed for photo with Steve afterwards. I told them to pose with him when they get their gold medals.